Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company: Harmonizing interests with farmers

As a household participating in the intensive sugarcane farming model for 2 years now, Mr. Truong Van Thuy in Thanh Tra hamlet, Tan Xuan commune, has found that sugarcane cultivation is very effective, with the last sugarcane crop yielding 90 tons/ha. Therefore, this sugarcane crop, his family has dedicated 1 ha to intensive sugarcane cultivation, following the factory's instructions. Thanks to that, the sugarcane has grown very well, and has also reduced the family's cost of 10 million VND for planting and care.

Mr. Truong Van Thuy said: My family has been growing sugarcane for decades, but in recent seasons, the sugarcane yield has been exceptionally high thanks to my family participating in the intensive sugarcane growing model to increase productivity. My family also received an additional 10% bonus from the Company due to high productivity.

Farmers in Huong Son commune (Tan Ky) take care of sugarcane. Photo: Cam Tu

The whole Tan Xuan commune has more than 500 hectares of sugarcane, of which 200 hectares are intensive sugarcane using high technology supported by the People's Committee of Tan Ky district and Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company. Regarding the district's policy to support people to grow sugarcane with an area of ​​30 hectares, the investment cost is 150 million VND, the remaining sugarcane area is invested in by Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company with the aim of applying scientific and technical advances in all stages of plowing, fertilizing, planting sugarcane, and caring. Households are supported by the Company with seeds, loan interest rates, 4 tons of treated sugarcane sludge, 3 million VND in cash, especially the company buys sugarcane at a price increase of about 10%.

These preferential policies have helped people feel secure in investing in this crop. Currently, sugarcane is growing well, with an estimated yield of 80 to 100 tons/ha by the end of the 2018 crop, which is expected to be much higher than the previous manual production of only about 55 tons/ha.

Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company has a raw material area of ​​nearly 7,400 hectares, of which Tan Ky district has more than 5,000 hectares. The company has many policies to accompany sugarcane growers, so the area of ​​high-quality sugarcane has increased rapidly. The whole district has 150 hectares of intensive sugarcane cultivation focusing on applying new technology in production, and farmers are supported by the company with more than 6 million VND/ha.

To create a sustainable connection with sugarcane growers, Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company has built a tight production contract mechanism, invested in advance, focused on mechanization in production, and built a model of large-scale sugarcane fields. In addition, according to the new rural development program, localities at all levels in Tan Ky district have supported people to build 850 hectares of concentrated, intensive sugarcane cultivation.

Visiting a large model sugarcane field in Giai Xuan commune (Tan Ky). Photo: Chau Lan

Mr. Nguyen Sy Hai - Head of Raw Material Development Department, Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company affirmed: In addition to concentrated sugarcane production, the company attaches importance to the propagation of new sugarcane varieties that are fast, disease-free, and have high productivity. When people have stable incomes, the raw material areas will be stable, the company will have raw materials for production, creating conditions that are mutually beneficial…”.

Not only accompanying sugarcane growers in investing in increasing productivity, Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company also supports localities in upgrading and renewing intra-field roads so that farmers can travel and produce conveniently. In the past 3 consecutive sugarcane crops, the company has regraded 8.5 km of intra-field roads, upgraded dozens of km of intra-field roads with a total amount of more than 3 billion VND; Supported localities in raw sugarcane growing areas to build bridges, culverts, and spillways to make it easier for people to transport sugarcane.

Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company awards excellent students in raw material areas. Photo: Tran Chau

Over the past 3 years, Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company has always paid attention to social security work in the sugarcane raw material area, organizing the giving of 300 gifts with a total value of 240 million VND to families in difficult circumstances and excellent students. Since then, it has become more closely connected with sugarcane growers, creating trust, companionship and sharing.