Restructuring sugarcane growing areas

"Three things in common" with sugarcane farmers.

Mr. Nguyen Dang Khoa, an agricultural extension officer in Son Duong district, remembers the exact area and variety of sugarcane grown by each household in Chi Thiet and Hao Phu communes. Mr. Khoa shared that he remembers the exact area of sugarcane for each household because he, along with district officials and officials from Chi Thiet and Hao Phu communes, implemented the "three together" approach (together planting, together providing technical guidance, and together harvesting) with the farmers.

During the period of 2019-2021, the price of raw sugarcane dropped, however, sugarcane remains the most sustainable crop today, as the processing plant is located right in the district, and the company buys the sugarcane as soon as the farmers harvest it. For this reason, Son Duong district has focused on all solutions to quickly restore the sugarcane growing area. According to Mr. Khoa, all agricultural extension officers from the district to the commune level, including himself, are involved in supporting farmers in harvesting and planting sugarcane.

After abandoning sugarcane cultivation for three years, the family of Mr. Hoang Van Ngoan, in Khan Cau village, Chi Thiet commune (Son Duong district), has returned to growing sugarcane. Mr. Ngoan happily shared that his family received support from district and commune agricultural extension officers in terms of seeds, fertilizers, and planting techniques, making sugarcane cultivation relatively smooth. This year, with favorable rain, the sugarcane is growing and developing very well, and Mr. Ngoan expects his family to earn hundreds of millions of dong by the end of 2024.

Agricultural extension officers in Son Duong district are guiding people in Chi Thiet commune (Son Duong district) on controlling thrips that damage sugarcane.

Adjacent to Chi Thiet commune, the officials of Hao Phu commune also work alongside the people in developing sugarcane raw material areas. According to the leaders of Hao Phu commune, during the sugarcane planting season in February and March, to support people in accelerating the planting process, 100% of the commune officials go to the fields on weekends to participate in planting sugarcane with the people. Hao Phu commune assigns agricultural extension officers to closely monitor the fields, track the development of pests and diseases, and guide people on how to prevent and control them.

Mr. Vu Van Tam, from Dong Tam village, Hao Phu commune, happily said that he was very fortunate to have the commune officials helping his family, so the sugarcane planting was done within the correct timeframe. This year, Mr. Tam's family planted 0.5 hectares, and next year, with sufficient land and seedlings, they will expand to cover the entire area of their fields and gardens, estimating that they will reach 1 hectare of sugarcane.

According to a report from the People's Committee of Son Duong district, since the beginning of the year, the entire district has developed 370 hectares of sugarcane, exceeding the assigned plan by 80 hectares, bringing the total sugarcane area in the district to nearly 1,000 hectares. Localities with the largest areas of new planting include Hao Phu, Tam Da, Chi Thiet, and Dong Loi… The district directs localities to continue promoting and encouraging people to expand the sugarcane raw material area. Compared to many other crops, sugarcane remains the most traditional and sustainable crop, especially with the processing plant located right in the area.

Mr. Nguy Nhu Tien Dung, Deputy Director of Son Duong Sugar Company, said that to reassure farmers about sugarcane cultivation, the company has adjusted the raw material purchase price. From October 2023, the company adjusted the purchase price of raw sugarcane from 1.05 million VND/ton to 1.3 million VND/ton, an increase of 250,000 VND/ton; the price of sugarcane seedlings was adjusted to over 1.4 million VND/ton. The price of raw sugarcane and the capital support quotas for sugarcane growers have also increased, with the company supporting 45 million VND/ha for new planting and replanting, and 25 million VND/ha for ratooning. Since the beginning of the year, the company has invested 33 billion VND and over 6,000 tons of bio-fertilizer, not including a large quantity of sugarcane seedlings, machinery, and equipment to support land preparation, promptly meeting the needs of developing the sugarcane raw material area for the people.

Officials from Hao Phu commune (Son Duong district) assist local people in planting sugarcane seedlings.

Thanks to strengthened investment incentive policies, farmers have become more enthusiastic about sugarcane cultivation. At the end of 2023, according to surveys by the company and local authorities, approximately 400 hectares were registered for new planting. However, to date, 800 hectares of sugarcane have been planted, exceeding the plan by 200%, with over 240 hectares replanted, bringing the total sugarcane area in the province to over 2,500 hectares.

Adjusting the raw material area development plan.

According to economic experts, after years of negative market impacts leading to hardship for both farmers and sugarcane businesses, the province's sugarcane industry has restructured its sugarcane growing areas to reduce production costs and lower the price of raw sugarcane, thereby benefiting farmers.

In previous years, sugarcane growing areas were spread across various localities, with many areas located tens or even hundreds of kilometers away from the factories, making harvesting and transportation very difficult. Sugarcane that was not transported immediately after harvesting suffered from reduced quality. Therefore, Son Duong Sugarcane Joint Stock Company has been adjusting its raw material development plan. Instead of expanding widely, the company will focus on key areas in Son Duong district and surrounding areas, with the core of the raw material area being the communes located within the processing plant's vicinity, such as Hao Phu, Hong Lac, Tam Da, Dai Phu, and Dong Loi…

The company continues to introduce high-yielding, high-sugar-quality sugarcane varieties to gradually replace degraded, low-yielding, and low-quality varieties; applying scientific and technical advancements in intensive cultivation to improve the quality of raw sugarcane. Mechanization and modernization are also being applied by the company in land preparation, harvesting, and transportation to reduce labor for sugarcane growers. It is hoped that with the company's policies and the support of sugarcane growers, sugarcane will soon regain its position as a key crop – a poverty reduction crop – in the province.

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