In Ningxia, farmers turning cow dung into cash

YINCHUAN－Bai Wendong, a farmer in Xinglong township of Xiji county in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, has an account at a special "bank"－one that trades in cow dung, not cash.

Each time his cattle pen fills up with excrement, he takes it to the bank in exchange for cash or credit to buy organic fertilizers for his fields.

In addition to its use as a fertilizer, cow dung is widely used for cooking, heating, and even for medical purposes in places like India. Now, Chinese farmers are turning dung into profit, using it to improve the environment in green farming and increase incomes.