Bitter melon is now sweet
These days, the harvesting atmosphere is bustling throughout Cu Lao Dung sugarcane fields (Soc Trang province). The sounds of machinery, the bustling laughter of people cutting and gathering sugarcane, transporting them to the gathering point; under the river, boats lined up to transport sugarcane to the sugar factory, all shared the joy of a good harvest and good prices.
Mr. Truong Van Banh - Deputy Director of Cu Lao Dung Mango Cooperative - shared that his family has just harvested 2 hectares of sugarcane, with an output of about 200 tons. With a selling price of VND1,150/kg (10 CCS), his family earned a profit of about VND80 million.
"A few years ago, the price of sugarcane was low, the factory was slow to pay, and there was a shortage of labor, causing many households to abandon sugarcane and switch to growing other crops. For about 3 years now, Soc Trang sugar sugar joint stock company has committed to guaranteed and input investment, stable sugarcane prices, and people living better, so they can feel secure in production, said Mr. Banh.
According to Mr. Banh, in the 2024-2025 sugarcane crop, the number of cooperative members has increased to 55 households, cultivating more than 50 hectares of sugarcane. The members all grow sugarcane with quite good yields, sugar expressed as 10.5 - 12 CCS. In particular, households with good technology can have up to 13 CCS with road markings. Using the area of old-growing sugarcane (using the origin of the previous crop) also helps people save costs, bringing a profit of 50 - 60% higher than new planting.
Mr. Banh said that this year's sugarcane crop, the price of sugarcane purchased by businesses is 1,050 - 1,100 VND/kg. With a yield of 110 - 120 tons/ha, farmers have a profit of 60 - 70 million VND/ha.
Mr. Nguyen Van Ut in Dai An 1 commune (Cu Lao Dung district, Soc Trang province), who has been attached to sugarcane for nearly his entire life, said that after many ups and downs, sugarcane is reviving strongly, bringing joy and peace of mind to farmers here. From 2023 to present, sugarcane growers have always had quite high profits because of stable selling prices, enterprises covering output, supporting un interest-bearing capital to invest in purchasing sugarcane seeds, agricultural materials, including hiring labor.
"Before there was a link to consumption, during the crop season, sugarcane prices dropped, harvests were gloomy, many households could not sell because the price was too low, some households accepted to burn up their sugarcane fields after a year of care," said Mr. Ut.
Ms. Truong Hong Phuong in Dai An 1 commune (Cu Lao Dung district, Soc Trang province) also happily shared that in the past 3 years with 2 hectares of sugarcane, her family has earned about 60 - 70 million VND/ha/crop.
According to the agricultural sector of Cu Lao Dung district (Soc Trang province), in the 2024 - 2025 sugarcane crop, the whole district has nearly 4,000 hectares, currently harvested 1,300 hectares. Average yield is 112 tons/ha, road weight 9 - 11 CCS.
Reviving raw material areas
Mr. Nguyen Van Dac - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Cu Lao Dung district (Soc Trang province) informed - the sugarcane production situation is having positive changes for the locality's main crops.
According to Mr. Dac, one of the important reasons for the development of sugarcane growing areas is thanks to changes in the investment method of enterprises. Soc Trang Sugar Joint Stock Company has assigned a technical team to closely follow the farmers' production process to guide instead of through intermediary units as before. The company also actively provides seeds, fertilizers, capital and contains products at high prices.
"In the 2024 - 2025 crop, 55% of the sugarcane area in the district has been signed a sugarcane purchase contract by the company, so people are very assured in production; the guarantee price always brings good profits to sugarcane growers," said Mr. Dac.
Mr. Dac said that in the period of 2025 - 2030, Cu Lao Dung district is determined to maintain the area of raw sugarcane from 4,000 hectares or more. The district's agricultural sector also proposed that businesses research new varieties of sugarcane with higher productivity and sugar expressed in sugar to contribute to stabilizing the economy and improving the lives of local people.
