Tan Ky: Land consolidation and plot exchange to develop sugarcane raw material areas

(Baonghean) - In Tan Ky district, some communes, from land conversion, have created large sugarcane fields with high efficiency, achieving a yield of 100 - 120 tons/ha.

Giai Xuan is the main sugarcane growing commune of Tan Ky district. The commune is located in the highlands of the district, the fields are not flat, there are many fields, the traffic infrastructure is not convenient for transporting agricultural products. Based on that reality, Giai Xuan commune has proposed creative solutions, suitable to the wishes of the people.

The commune also allocated 169 million VND to rent excavators, tractors and other vehicles to level the fields, install 2 rows of culverts to prevent flooding, and people contributed 1,231 working days to build 9 new intra-field roads to facilitate farmers' production. On an area of ​​more than 117 hectares of sugarcane spread over 7 fields, Giai Xuan commune renovated, demolished all the banks of the plots and replaced them with concrete rows like this to mark the plots. From 1,016 plots, after land consolidation and plot exchange, there were only 329 plots left, a decrease of 678 plots.

After converting the land, Song Con Sugar Company introduced mechanization into sugarcane production in Giai Xuan - Tan Ky. Photo: Phuong Thao

Mr. Nguyen Huu Trien - Vice Chairman of Giai Xuan Commune People's Committee added: "Up to now, the fields are flat, so it is convenient for mechanization, and the people are all excited. After the land consolidation and plot exchange, we have planned the internal traffic system, organized the division of plots and divided the land for households under the supervision of the people, ensuring objectivity, democracy and gaining the consensus of the majority of the people. Currently, with more than 117 hectares of land that has been consolidated and plot exchanged, we are investing in encouraging people to grow concentrated sugarcane to create links between businesses to ensure long-term stable output for sugarcane."

The benefits brought to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa's family in Van Long hamlet, Giai Xuan commune since the land consolidation and plot exchange are flat cultivated land, favorable for mechanization in production, reducing investment costs, and reducing labor by 30-40%.

Previously, on an area of ​​1 hectare, every time the sugarcane growing season began, Ms. Hoa's family had to hire 40 workers, each worker costing from 150,000 to 200,000 VND; her family had to pay 6 million VND to hire workers. Now, thanks to the application of mechanization in production, her family only spent 4 million VND, saving 2 million VND and completing the work in 1 day. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa happily shared: "In the past, my family had 4 plots of land, now it has been converted to 1 plot, which is much more convenient for production; much less hard work".

With the effectiveness of land conversion in Tan Ky area, Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company has supported farmers with fertilizers, seeds and 4 million VND/ha and committed to purchasing sugarcane at a price increase of about 10%. Nghia Dong commune is also a locality that has done a good job of land consolidation, plot exchange and bringing sugarcane to the fields. Sugarcane in Nghia Dong is grown on rice land for high productivity and efficiency, especially when farmers apply mechanization and invest in intensive farming. Sugarcane yield reaches an average of 80 tons/ha, some households reach 90 tons/ha. The land in Nghia Dong has enough moisture due to the irrigation system, and is flat, so sugarcane grows well.

The whole Nghia Dong commune has 960 hectares of cultivated land. After land consolidation and plot exchange, each plot is on average 1,000 to 3,000 m2 wide, each household has only 1 to 1.3 plots. The way Nghia Dong commune does things comes from the interests of the people. People see the benefits of land consolidation and plot exchange, so they voluntarily contribute their labor and money to complete this work well. The output of crops such as rice, corn, and sugarcane in Nghia Dong commune always meets and exceeds the set plan. If before land consolidation and plot exchange, the annual food output of Nghia Dong commune was 4,800 tons, now it has reached 6,200 tons, an increase of 1,400 tons. Sugarcane previously had a yield of only 50 tons/ha, now it has increased to 80 tons/ha.

Mr. Ngo Xuan Nghia - Secretary of the Party Committee of Nghia Dong commune affirmed: "After completing the land consolidation and plot exchange, the locality will change the crop structure appropriately to bring about efficiency, especially applying mechanization in production with 3-pan tillage machines. At the same time, Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company will also stay close to the locality and the people to train them on new intensive farming applications and techniques, and lend them money to buy sugarcane production machinery."

Bringing mechanization into sugarcane production in Tan Ky. Photo: Phuong Thao

Tan Ky district has identified land consolidation and plot exchange as an important step in building concentrated commodity production areas, a decisive factor in promoting sustainable development of local agricultural production. With the motto of not spreading out, prolonging, land consolidation and plot exchange, but handing over land to people for production, Tan Ky district has promptly allocated over 400 million VND of provincial budget to support localities to speed up the progress of land consolidation and plot exchange.

Up to now, localities in the whole district have consolidated and exchanged 1,872 hectares of land, reaching over 98% of the plan. Some communes such as Nghia Dong, Nghia Dung, Nghia Thai, Nghia Hop, Tan Long... have completed the consolidation and exchange of land and the improvement of fields. Along with the consolidation and exchange of land, the internal traffic system serving production has been well implemented by localities. Up to now, the whole district has completed 20 km of spacious internal traffic with a width of 6 - 8m.

Thai sugarcane yield reaches 100 tons/ha in Tan Xuan - Tan Ky. Photo: Chau Lan

Mr. Nguyen Ba Thuc - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tan Ky district said: "Currently, Tan Ky has built 3 large model sugarcane fields in the communes of Giai Xuan, Tan Xuan and Nghia Dong; each field is at least 50 hectares, maximum 120 hectares. Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company actively supports the communes in building roads, the company also lends farmers the costs of plowing, seeds, and sugarcane planting costs, and only pays when the sugarcane is harvested. The district has organized seminars with the communes on the effectiveness of large model sugarcane fields in the area and will continue to expand them in the coming time".

However, with a sugarcane area of ​​nearly 6,000 hectares, large sugarcane fields in Tan Ky are still few and the factory and local authorities are continuing to replicate the models in the coming time.

Phuong Thao