Limit the situation of 3 sugar factories in Nghe An competing to buy sugarcane raw material areas

(Baonghean.vn) - Up to now, Nghe An has 20,123 hectares of sugarcane, with an average yield of 53.34 tons/hectare and an output of over 1 million tons. While the sugarcane area and output have not yet reached their targets, 3 sugar factories including NASA, Song Con, and Song Lam in Nghe An are still competing to buy raw materials.

Sugarcane growers in Nghe An are excited about the recent sugarcane crop, with high sugarcane purchase prices. Photo courtesy

According to statistics in the 2016/2017 crushing season, the sugarcane area decreased by 1,549 hectares, the output decreased by 39,242 tons. Thus, according to the planning of the Provincial People's Committee, the raw sugarcane area only reached 83.78% (20,123/30,600 hectares).

The expected productivity and output have not yet reached the set target (productivity plan 63.5 tons/ha; total output 1 million 944,002 tons). The purchase price of sugarcane for the 2016/2017 crushing season is from 950,000 - 1,000,000 VND/ton.

While the sugarcane area and output have not yet reached their targets, three sugar factories including NASA, Song Con, and Song Lam are still competing to buy raw materials. Some sugar factories from other provinces are even purchasing. The factories have requested that the relevant authorities have solutions to help manage the sugarcane raw material planning area and minimize the competition to buy raw materials.

Overview of the meeting. Photo: Nguyen Son

At the conference, sugar factories requested the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Provincial People's Committee to have policies to work with factories to manage the planning of raw material areas well, avoiding overlap in land planning for other crops. Regarding sugarcane area development, in fact, factories have policies to lend farmers seeds, fertilizers and coordinate in purchasing.

A current difficulty is that most sugarcane growing areas are in poor conditions, and have not yet applied suitable irrigation models and science and technology to increase productivity and output. According to surveys in some raw sugarcane growing areas, if properly cared for, each hectare of sugarcane can yield over 80 tons/ha, typically in some places over 110 tons/ha.

NASU Sugar Factory's representative spoke about the application of new varieties and science and technology in sugarcane cultivation. This unit also proposed that the province have solutions to effectively manage the planning of sugarcane raw material areas. Photo: Nguyen Son

Factories also offer solutions for introducing new varieties, actively applying machinery to all stages of planting, caring and harvesting. However, to date, there is still no suitable machinery, while there is a serious shortage of unskilled labor in the localities.

The development of raw sugarcane areas in Nghe An is considered one of the positive directions. According to information from factories, sugarcane grown in the province has a sugar content higher than the national average, reaching from 10.5 to 11.40 CCS (the national average is 9.74 CCS). And more importantly, there are 3 sugar factories in the area that can consume raw sugarcane.

Mr. Hoang Nghia Hieu - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development emphasized the responsibility of coordination between parties in managing the planning of sugarcane raw material areas. Photo: Nguyen Son

Some opinions at the meeting suggested that the three sugarcane factories in the province should cooperate to fill the planned raw sugarcane area, increase productivity and income for sugarcane growers. In this field, it is also necessary to gradually consolidate and change plots to form large raw material areas to apply machinery and equipment conveniently and stably.

At the same time, avoid competition for raw materials and increase solutions to increase revenue from molasses, fertilizer production, electricity from bagasse...

The application of machinery in planting, caring for and harvesting sugarcane is being focused on by localities. Photo: Thu Huyen

The leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will receive comments and propose solutions to work with sugar factories and districts and communes to conduct surveys and closely review raw material areas, from which to have detailed plans for raw sugarcane areas for strict management. Along with this work, they will combine reviewing land areas that can be intensively cultivated, applying science and technology to increase productivity, and building large fields.

Speaking at the meeting, comrade Dinh Viet Hong assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to take the lead in managing the planning of raw material areas, and at the same time, sugar factories need to make more efforts in accompanying sugarcane growers to close the area and increase productivity.

Comrade Dinh Viet Hong speaks at the meeting. Photo: Nguyen Son

Regarding harvest season, factories also need to increase capacity at the right time when sugarcane reaches high sugar content to limit losses and increase income for farmers. Regarding sugarcane varieties, sugar factories are the core units that need to have policies to research and apply disease-free sugarcane varieties and have incentives for growers.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also assigned the task to the districts to step up propaganda for people to grow sugarcane according to the plan, avoiding the phenomenon of chasing other crops with unstable output.

Nguyen Son