This is the second consecutive year that the purchase price of raw sugar cane from all three sugar processing factories in Nghe An province has always been stable at a high level (of VND1.1 million/ton or more), so farmers are very excited about the raw material Hold pipe like never before.

At the end of April, the sugar cane crop was basically harvested, and farmers in all regions planted sugar cane raw materials for sugar processing factories in Nghe An to reduce the influence of the hot season and the southwest wind (Lao wind) coming soon, causing the soil to become dry, sugar cane slowly sprouts and takes root.

Both the productivity and the selling price are unprecedented

According to the planning of raw cane production areas for 3 sugar processing factories in the province, Nghe An will achieve the target of 28,400 ha of sugar cane, an average yield of 70.5 tons/ha, and a production of 1,880,000 tons in the period 2013-2020 is the pressing capacity of the factories 15,500 tons/day.

However, in the period from 2013 to 2020, Nghe An only planted 24,019 ha of raw sugar cane in 2016, yielding an average of 56 tons/ha. The following years gradually declined, because the factories’ sugar cane purchase price fluctuated only around 780-800 VND/kg, the price was too low, farmers were less profitable, so that the sugar cane area was only 19,825 ha in the 2019-2020 crop year. , the yield dropped to 53 tons/ha, then to almost 18,500 ha in the 2020-2021 crop year, the average yield reached more than 61 tons/ha.

In the 2020-2021 crop year, the sugar cane area fell sharply, but the yield increased, and most importantly, the sugar cane price rose to about 950 VND/kg, the farmers were delighted, the sugar cane farmers made a good profit. By this crop year 2022 – 2023, the sugar cane area will grow to 20,200 ha, the yield is about 68 tons/ha, which is the highest-yield sugar cane crop ever.

In particular, the newly harvested sugar cane crop is not only high-yielding but also the least susceptible to pests and diseases, and is also the sugar cane crop purchased from sugar factories with prices between 1,100 and 1,200 VND/kg, the highest ever.

Mr. Pham Van Luc from Nghia Thai Township in Tan Ky District said that he leased land from many other households to plant 5 ha of raw sugar cane for 3 years, his sugar cane yield always reached 70 tons/ha. Sugar cane price this year Song Con Sugar Processing Factory bought 1,100 VND/kg, excluding all costs, still has a profit of 150 million VND/5ha.

After harvesting this crop of sugar cane, Mr. Luc leased another 8 hectares of land for planting. Mr. Luc Bao has worked very hard to plant, cultivate and harvest sugar cane in the past. Now, from tilling, planting, tending, harvesting and transporting, all with machines, the sugar factory signs an A to Z service contract so that the farmers are healthy.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh from Giai Xuan Township, Tan Ky District said excitedly, “The sugar cane planting area of ​​my home is only 2 ha, but with good investment in intensive farming, the sugar cane crop has just been harvested and has an average yield of up to 80 tons /ha After harvesting, all are sold to the sugar processing factory, minus all costs paid by the factory in advance (seeds, microorganic fertilizers and mechanized services for tillage, planting, etc. Harvest…) is still more than 30 million VND/ha .

After harvesting this sugar cane crop I will plant another 1 ha in addition to the 2 ha just harvested to save the original. If the factory continues to buy cane at the current price, not only my family but most other families will have a significant income.”

Similarly, Mr. Hoang Minh Hieu of Minh Hop Township in Quy Hop District said that sugarcane farmers have never been more excited than this year’s sugarcane harvest because the sugarcane harvest is good, the price is good and the farmers have good income.

The sugar cane crop has just been harvested. The average sugar cane yield for Mr. Hieu reached 140 tons/ha, the highest in Quy Hop District, excluding all production costs, net profit of nearly VND 100 million/ha.

When asked why his cane has such a high yield, Mr. Hieu said: “My cane is grown on land where oranges used to be grown, the soil is pretty good. Second, thanks to the high-yielding variety of sugar cane that comes from the factory. The third is good care, adequate fertilization, especially organic fertilizer, and the fourth is regular watering, so that the cane cane is much better than many other households that do not actively water it.

The area under sugar cane has increased again

With the optimistic signal of sugar cane in the past, it is likely that in the sugar cane harvest year 2023 – 2024, the area and yield of sugar cane will increase sharply as sugar companies and farmers mutually benefit and share responsibilities. Especially now, sugar companies are very interested in farmers, which is reflected in many mechanisms and policies, such as:

The first: Each sugar company in Nghe An also encourages farmers to use mechanization at all stages of sugar cane production, from tillage to planting, tending, pest control, harvesting and transportation. The aforementioned use of mechanization is fully and promptly mandated by companies with awards that are both supportive and encouraging.

Monday: Sugar companies are willing to lend money to farmers without interest to buy machinery for sugar cane production and receive advances to buy fertilizers, varieties of sugar cane … interest free, at the end of the harvest. In addition, the company sent technical personnel to each village to train techniques for planting, cultivating and intensively cultivating sugar cane to achieve a high yield.

Tuesday: Some sugar cane companies also have their own specific mechanisms and policies, such as:

At Nghe An Sugar Company: The cultivation of sugar cane on reclaimed land, land converted into sugar cane by inefficient crops, is supported with VND 2 million/ha; new sugar cane breeding granted by the company is supported with VND 4 million/ha; Families who plant new varieties of sugar cane from the breeding field will receive a support of VND 1.5 million/ha. At harvest, each truck will be transported to the factory, if the cane (CCS) is checked higher than the average of 5 days, 0.5 CCS will be rewarded with an increase of VND 60,000 / 1 CCS.

At Song Lam Sugar Company: support of VND 2 million/ha for the model of intensive sugar cane cultivation according to the process established by the company, 100% support for the transportation of sugar cane seeds for households to register for sugar cane cultivation and price guarantee materials for the next harvest, so that farmers can produce safely.

Quan Vi Giang, vice chairman of the People’s Committee of Quy Hop District, one of the districts with the largest sugar cane-growing area in the province, said: At present, fertilizer prices have started to “cool off”, the price of raw sugar cane has risen again to a high level farmers increase sugar cane cultivation, the area next year is more than last year. As of 2021, the most planted year was only 4,800ha, but in the last 2 years it has grown to more than 5,200ha, of which Minh Hop Municipality has planted nearly 1,000ha.

Nguyen Tien Duc, Director of Cultivation and Plant Protection Subdivision of Nghe An Province, said: In 2021, the whole province will cultivate nearly 18,500 hectares of raw sugar cane for sugar processing factories, this will increase to 20,200 hectares in 2020. The possibility of harvesting will reach 20,200 by 2020 ha increased. Sugar cane will continue to increase by hundreds of hectares in 2023 because the last sugar cane harvest is good, the price is good, and farmers are very excited.

Do not follow the price to expand the territory

In Nghe An, the Lesson on “Rescuing” Vegetable, Tuber, and Fruit Products in Quynh Luu Vegetable Growing Areas, Dien Chau; rescue onion products in Nghi Loc; The rescue of ginger products in Ky Son… happened. In the case of sugar cane in particular, the “call to rescue” policy cannot be applied as it can for other crops. Therefore, local leaders, cooperatives and farmers should not chase after high purchase prices, but expand the area under cultivation for sugar cane or other crops.

The best method is to focus on intensive farming for high yields and good quality rather than expanding the area. This measure not only brings high profitability, but also saves land and saves land for other crops. The sugar cane yield in Nghe An is still low at just under 70 tons/ha. Now there are households like Mr. Hoang Minh Hieu’s family in Minh Hop Township, Quy Hop District. The recent sugar cane harvest has reached a yield of up to 140 tons/ha, the highest in Nghe An Province. This result shows that the potential to exploit sugar cane productivity is still high, the problem is high investment in intensive farming for high yields.

In fact, if the demand for raw sugar cane of a sugar processing factory is still large and the supply has not met the demand, it is possible to expand the acreage, and there must be an economic contract between the sugar cane farmer and the factory, the consumption of sugar cane products and prices, that are bought after harvest, such as the Song Lam Sugar Company, today signed a contract with farmers in Anh Son district.