Nghe An farmers grow sugarcane for 60 million VND/ha on highland

These days, Mr. Nguyen Tien Long's family and many households in Trung village, Thanh Linh commune (Thanh Chuong) are excited to start the sugarcane harvest season. On the 2 ha area in Trai Ho area that he bid for from the commune, which was previously mainly planted with corn and potatoes, now they have switched to growing sugarcane for a much higher income.

"This is a poor, barren land that has been encroached upon by Thanh Thinh and Thanh Huong communes, so protection work is very difficult. It has been abandoned for many years. Now, I and some households have bid to grow sugarcane for a very stable income. This year, it is estimated that each hectare will yield about 65 tons, earning over 60 million VND, much higher than growing corn. Sugarcane has the advantage of being planted once, and only needs to be replanted after 5 years, so it saves a lot of costs and labor," said Mr. Nguyen Tien Long.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Long in Trung village, Thanh Linh commune (Thanh Chuong) harvests sugarcane in Trai Ho field. Photo: Dinh Ha

Currently, Thanh Lam and Thanh Xuan communes are places with abundant land funds, people have invested in planting over 200 hectares of sugarcane. According to Ms. Tran Thi Ha in Xuan Quynh hamlet, Thanh Xuan commune, sugarcane is a plant that is not picky about soil. After many years of growing cassava on poor soil, in recent years, people have switched to growing sugarcane, unexpectedly the yield is high, each hectare can reach 70 tons, people are very excited because they have found a crop to rotate with cassava.

Sugarcane is also attracting a number of businesses inside and outside the district, typically Mr. Nguyen Van Tuat in Mai Tan hamlet, Nghia Hoan commune (Tan Ky) - a shareholder of Song Con Sugarcane Company has rented 50 hectares of land. The land that was once disputed between Thanh Tien and Thanh Van communes now generates billions of dong in income from sugarcane.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thuy - Secretary of Thanh Van Commune Party Committee said that from only collecting 15 million VND per year from land rental fees, the locality has now collected 300 million VND, 20 times more, and does not have to worry about resolving disputes and security and order issues.

According to people in Thanh Xuan commune (Thanh Chuong), this year's sugarcane purchase price of 900 VND/kg is reasonable. Photo: Dinh Ha

According to Mr. Tran Phi Hung - Head of Thanh Chuong Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in order to diversify crops, many years ago, the district assigned a plan to plant sugarcane in a number of communes with a total area of ​​about 1,000 hectares, but due to unstable prices, high investment rates and unreasonable plans, sugarcane now only reaches about 200 hectares. In the coming time, the district will hold a workshop, evaluate the results, review the land fund to assign to localities to grow concentrated sugarcane, convenient for harvesting./.