Farmers escape poverty, get rich sustainably from sugarcane - Cao Bang Electronic Newspaper

Sugarcane has long been considered a key crop of Phuc Hoa commune in the development of agricultural and rural economy. Sugarcane has created a stable livelihood for farmers, giving them the opportunity to escape poverty and become rich sustainably.

Creating sustainable livelihoods from sugarcane cultivation

Along both sides of the road from Phuc Hoa Commune People's Committee to Ta Lung Border Gate, nearly 10 km, turning onto the newly completed border road, still bright in concrete color, only seeing the immense green color of sugarcane and cassava.

Under the scorching sun, Mr. Lo Van Hoi, Secretary of the Phja Khoang Residential Group Party Cell, Phuc Hoa Commune, is still diligently taking care of his family's nearly 9,000 ^m2 of sugarcane. Seeing us expressing interest in learning about sugarcane, Mr. Hoi stopped and happily said: Sugarcane has been a traditional crop for decades for farmers in Phuc Hoa Commune. Since Cao Bang Sugarcane Joint Stock Company joined the value chain, sugarcane farmers have received advance fertilizers, sugarcane seeds, technical support for planting, care, harvesting and signed consumption contracts from the Company. Sugarcane farmers benefit from the policy of purchasing sugarcane at a relatively stable price, so raw sugarcane has further affirmed its position in the development of the agricultural and rural economy , becoming a key crop contributing to increasing income and creating stable livelihoods for farmers.

Phja Khoang residential group has 99 households, of which over 40 households grow raw sugarcane, with the following sugarcane varieties: ROC 22, ROC 114, Que Duong 42, Que Duong 44, Que Duong 46, which are new sugarcane varieties with high yield, sugar content, with the ability to branch, regenerate, and withstand drought quite well, suitable for the soil, climate and irrigation water conditions of the locality. The sugarcane harvest lasts from November to March of the following year, with an average annual yield of 69 - 70 tons/ha. Hoi's family maintains planting nearly 9,000 ^{m2 of} raw sugarcane. In the 2024 - 2025 crop year, his family will harvest nearly 60 tons of sugarcane. Thanks to the application of appropriate technical processes for planting, caring for, fertilizing, and harvesting on time, all sugarcane is of grade I quality, sold to Cao Bang Sugarcane Joint Stock Company at 1,390 VND/kg, earning nearly 83 million VND. After deducting production costs, Mr. Hoi earned nearly 60 million VND in profit.

As a household with many years of experience growing sugarcane in Phuc Hoa commune, Mr. Ly Van Hieu, Head of Bo Pu Residential Group, said: The entire residential group has 45/62 households growing nearly 28 hectares of sugarcane. Sugarcane has affirmed its value in economic development, farmers have actively invested in expanding the area, contributing significantly to helping farmers increase their income, improve their lives, eliminate poverty and become rich sustainably. From growing raw sugarcane, many households in the Group earn tens of millions to hundreds of millions of VND each year. This is a significant source of income for farmers in the mountainous areas with many difficulties.

Sugarcane is the main crop of Phuc Hoa commune.

For sustainable sugarcane development

Chairman of the People's Committee of Phuc Hoa Commune, Dam Dinh Dao, said that the whole commune currently grows nearly 1,388 hectares of raw sugarcane, with an average yield of 69 - 70 tons/ha, an estimated output of 95,758 tons/year, and an average production value of more than 129 billion VND. Sugarcane has been affirming its position, becoming a key crop in the crop structure, creating an important resource to promote the development of the commune's agricultural and rural economy, contributing to increasing income, creating livelihoods, helping farmers to eliminate poverty and become rich sustainably.

Developing raw sugarcane cultivation brings about efficiency and economic value, but in reality, the production process, the investment enterprises participating in the association and the farmers in the growing areas still face difficulties and challenges that are barriers to the development of raw sugarcane areas that need to be resolved. The linkage in the production value chain between farmers and investment enterprises is still loose. Many contracts are signed, but many farmers arbitrarily harvest early to sell sugarcane to traders for higher prices. On the contrary, the enterprises participating in the association sometimes purchase slowly, do not ensure the time as committed, making farmers easily fall into a passive position in the harvesting stage, affecting the quality of sugarcane as well as economic value, leading to losses for both farmers and investment enterprises. Another difficulty that also affects the development of the commune's sugarcane raw material area is that due to the unusual weather conditions, there are times of prolonged drought, many sugarcane growing areas in the commune, farmers cannot take the initiative in irrigation water, in addition, sugarcane growers have not really paid attention to applying science and technology, intensive farming, so the productivity and quality of sugarcane have not reached optimal...

In order for the sugarcane raw material area to develop sustainably and promote its value in agricultural economic development, according to the Chairman of the People's Committee of Phuc Hoa Commune, Dam Dinh Dao, the commune continues to synchronously deploy solutions to remove barriers affecting the development of the sugarcane raw material area. Directing to focus on promoting propaganda for farmers to boldly abandon ineffective traditional farming habits and change their mindset to commodity production. Focusing on coordinating with relevant sectors to regularly train and mobilize farmers in sugarcane growing areas to apply scientific and technical advances in intensive farming to increase productivity and quality. The commune coordinates with investment enterprises to plan and organize for farmers to visit and study in localities growing sugarcane raw materials applying advanced and effective science and technology and to build, summarize and replicate demonstration models of sugarcane growing with high productivity and quality, thereby replicating the model, striving for the goal of increasing sugarcane productivity by 8-10%/ha annually.

Fully and transparently implement investment policies and mechanisms for developing valuable crops, including credit policies, to ensure harmonious interests for farmers and investing enterprises. Consider the close connection between the commune government, investing enterprises and sugarcane farmers as a key factor and an important direction for the sustainable development of the commune's sugarcane growing area.

Quoc Son

Source: https://baocaobang.vn/nong-dan-thoat-ngheo-lam-giau-ben-vung-tu-cay-mia-3179455.html