Cairo – Mubasher: The Egyptian minister of petroleum Tarek El-Molla announced the establishment of the first Egyptian company for manufacturing rice straw fiberboards with an investment cost of EUR 210 million, Akhbar El-Yom reported on Wednesday.

The new plant will have an annual production of about 205,000 cubic metres using nearly 245,000 tonnes of rice straw per year, El-Molla added.

Set to be established in Beheira, the new plant will use rice straw as feedstock to prevent field burning of crop residue which causes air pollution.