Farmers in a commune in Nghe An province earn 300 million VND/hectare from growing sugarcane for beverages.
During the peak of the hot weather in early May, the demand for sugarcane juice surged, making sugarcane fields in Thinh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district (Nghe An province) even more in demand for juice extraction.
From the beginning of April until now, especially during the hot days of early May, farmers in Thinh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district (Nghe An province) have been busy harvesting sugarcane to extract juice for the beverage market.
In Trang Kieu hamlet, the atmosphere of labor begins at 4 a.m. in the sugarcane fields. Locals say that summer is also the time to harvest sugarcane for juice extraction.
After three hours, Mr. Phan Van Thu and 15 other laborers had finished harvesting two plots of sugarcane. The bundles of golden, thick, straight sugarcane stalks were neatly stacked, waiting for traders to come and buy them.
“For almost a month now, we’ve been taking turns harvesting sugarcane every day. The hot weather has made the sugarcane very sweet, so it sells for a good price. We sell tons of sugarcane every day, at a price of 3.5 - 4 million VND per ton at the field, bringing in about 15 million VND,” Thu happily shared.
With nearly 4 acres of sugarcane, Thu's family earned nearly 60 million VND this season - an income many times higher than growing corn, potatoes, or beans as they did before.
It's not just Thu's family; in Hung My hamlet, the atmosphere of harvesting sugarcane for juice extraction is bustling. Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuyen said: "Each bundle of sugarcane, weighing 30 kg, is tightly bound and gathered on the main road, waiting for trucks to come and collect it. To ensure timely delivery to beverage outlets in the morning, the villagers have to start working from dawn."
According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Phong, Chairman of the Thinh Thanh Commune People's Committee, sugarcane for juice extraction, also known as sugarcane for beverages, has been cultivated by the local people for over 10 years. Unlike other areas that grow sugarcane for sugar factories or molasses production at the end of the year, Thinh Thanh's sugarcane serves the beverage market, so the harvest season starts in April and lasts until September. This is the hot summer season, making the work quite arduous for the farmers.
“Currently, the entire commune has about 87 hectares of sugarcane for juice extraction. On average, 1 hectare of sugarcane yields around 300 million VND, meaning that each year, farmers in the commune earn tens of billions of VND – a dream figure for this local agricultural model. If calculated per unit area, sugarcane for juice extraction provides the highest income among all crops in the commune today,” Mr. Phong said.
Sugarcane cultivation for juice extraction requires strict standards: the stalks must be thick, beautiful, juicy, sweet, and straight. Therefore, throughout the cultivation process, farmers not only weed and fertilize regularly, but also prune leaves, check for pests and diseases frequently, and create raised beds with wooden stakes to prevent lodging. By-products from sugarcane are also utilized as feed for buffaloes and cows, increasing farming efficiency.
Sugarcane is considered an easy-to-grow crop, requiring little capital, with few pests and diseases, and suitable for many soil types. With a yield of 3-4 tons per sao (approximately 1000 square meters) and stable selling prices, growers earn an average of 300 million VND per hectare, much higher than traditional crops. This model is not only thriving in Yen Thanh district but has also spread to many other localities such as Do Luong, Anh Son, Dien Chau, Tan Ky, and Nghia Dan…
Given the clear economic benefits, Thinh Thanh commune is continuing to encourage people to convert less productive rice fields to sugarcane cultivation for juice extraction. This is a sustainable approach that adapts well to climate change and transforms the demand for refreshing summer drinks into a stable source of income for farmers.
Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc, Head of the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, said: The sugarcane variety commonly grown for juice extraction in the province is QD931-59. The total area of sugarcane for juice extraction in the province is currently over 170 hectares, concentrated most heavily in Yen Thanh district (166 hectares); the remainder is in other districts such as Nghia Dan, Quy Hop, Anh Son, Thanh Chuong, etc. In addition, some areas utilize sugarcane for juice extraction, but due to its low juice content and hardness, it is not very effective.
