Paddy stubble has gained some notoriety over the last 5-7 years, mainly in North India. This paddy stubble is the residue left when rice is extracted from the paddy crop. Farmers use a small portion of it as dairy feed but burn the residue, creating heavy pollution in north India. During the first week of November, the AQI of Delhi NCR crosses more than 600, a severe pollution causing breathing problems and eye irritation. It is not entirely the farmers’ fault, as they have nothing else to do with the stubble with their limited resources.
But this golden yellow streak is a treasure, not a waste. Its golden yellowish texture looks beautiful, and the home décor products made using the stubble bring organic and natural vibes to the home. Nobbys is the only brand in the country to create home décor products using paddy straw. We make products like Laundry Baskets, Table Mats, Rugs, and Tissue Boxes from this, and these are not just decorative products but are fully functional.
We handcraft this inch-by-inch to create sturdy and lightweight laundry baskets, beautiful storage and shelf baskets and also combine with other materials like Jute and Cotton to bring the best combination to our customers. The rug made from this paddy stubble gives a stunning yellow texture to the home.
We buy this from the farmers in bulk as this is available during only two months of a year, i.e. October and November. Hence, the farmers not only get income from selling rice but also the paddy straw and get immediate payments in their accounts. This income helps them in additional profit or offset the costs like harvesting, buying seeds for the next crop, etc.
A lot of effort goes into getting this paddy straw from the farm to our factory, be it loading, logistics or unloading, and a lot of human effort is involved. It needs to be stored in a covered and dry place away from moisture as the rains or moisture will make it bad. We have this facility in-house to keep the entire paddy straw for a year. After that, we must clean flimsy grass ( or leaves) to use only solid stems for the braids. Then, these are weaved by in-house artisans who are our full-time employees to create a long rope, which our other artisans further join.
The products made from paddy stubble are lightweight yet durable and sturdy. If you want to explore the products, check out our Golden Grass products.