Farmers in a commune in Nghe An earn 300 million VND/ha from growing sugarcane for refreshment.

Since the beginning of April until now, especially during the hot days of early May, farmers in Thinh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district (Nghe An) have been busy harvesting sugarcane to squeeze out juice to supply the soft drink market.

In Trang Kieu hamlet, the working atmosphere starts at 4am in the sugarcane fields. Locals said that summer is also the time to harvest sugarcane to squeeze out juice for refreshment.

After 3 hours, Mr. Phan Van Thu and 15 other workers finished harvesting 2 sao of sugarcane. The bundles of golden sugarcane with large, straight stalks were neatly stacked waiting for traders to come and buy.

“For nearly a month now, we have been taking turns harvesting sugarcane every day. The hot weather makes the sugarcane very sweet and sells for a good price. Every day we sell tons of sugarcane, the price at the field is from 3.5 to 4 million VND/ton, earning about 15 million VND,” Mr. Thu happily shared.

With nearly 4 sao of sugarcane, this crop, Mr. Thu's family earned nearly 60 million VND - an income many times higher than growing corn, potatoes or beans like before.

Not only Mr. Thu's family, in Hung My hamlet, the atmosphere of sugarcane harvesting and squeezing for juice is also bustling. Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuyen said: "Each bundle of sugarcane weighing 30 kg is tied tightly, gathered on the main road waiting for cars to come and buy. To deliver to refreshment spots in the morning, people have to work from early morning."

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Phong - Chairman of the People's Committee of Thinh Thanh Commune, sugarcane for juice, also known as sugarcane for refreshment, has been cultivated by the people here for more than 10 years. Unlike other areas that grow sugarcane as raw material for sugar factories or to make molasses at the end of the year, Thinh Thanh sugarcane serves the beverage market, so the harvest season starts from April and lasts until September. This is the time of the hot summer, so the people have a hard time.

“Currently, the whole commune has about 87 hectares of sugarcane for juice pressing. On average, 1 hectare of sugarcane brings in around 300 million VND, so each year the people in the commune have a revenue of tens of billions of VND - a dream number for the local agricultural model. If calculated on a unit area, sugarcane for juice pressing gives the highest income for the crops in the commune today,” said Mr. Phong.

Sugarcane for juice extraction has strict requirements: large, beautiful, juicy, sweet and straight stems. Therefore, during the entire care process, farmers not only have to weed and fertilize regularly, but also have to prune leaves, check for pests regularly, and make high beds, using wooden stakes to prevent them from falling over. Sugarcane by-products are also used as feed for buffaloes and cows, increasing farming efficiency.

Sugarcane is considered an easy-to-grow crop, low capital, few pests and diseases, suitable for many types of soil. With a yield of 3 - 4 tons/sao, stable selling price, growers earn an average of 300 million VND/ha, much higher than traditional crops. This model not only thrives in Yen Thanh district, but also spreads to many localities such as Do Luong, Anh Son, Dien Chau, Tan Ky, Nghia Dan...

With clear economic efficiency, Thinh Thanh commune is continuing to encourage people to convert ineffective rice growing areas to sugarcane growing for juice extraction. This is a sustainable direction, adapting well to climate change and turning the need for summer thirst quenching into a stable source of income for farmers.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection said: Sugarcane for juice that people in the province often grow is the QD931-59 variety. The total area of ​​sugarcane for juice in the whole province is currently about 170 hectares, most concentrated in Yen Thanh district with 166 hectares; The rest is in other districts such as Nghia Dan, Quy Hop, Anh Son, Thanh Chuong... In addition, some areas use sugarcane molasses to squeeze for soft drinks, but due to lack of water and hardness, it is not effective.