Nearly 20 years growing sugarcane, Huynh Quoc Toan has never suffered such heavy losses. With more than 4 thousand USD investment for 6 hectares of sugar cane, his sugarcane crop is almost entirely destroyed.
"If the situation continues for a year, this area will just be abandoned and farmers won’t have money to repay the bank", said Toan.
Soc Trang’s 2016-17 sugar cane crop covers 7,200 ha, mostly concentrated in Cu Lao Dung District with about 6,500 hectares. However, nearly 200 hectares of this area has been damaged through salt water intrusion.
"Sugarcane has quite high saline resistance, about 5 to 7 over 1,000. However, due to severe climate change this year, especially salt water intrusion, sugarcane in our district has been seriously damaged", said Ho Thanh Kiet - Head of Agriculture and Rural Development in Cu Lao Dung District, Soc Trang province.
Sugarcane growers have also had to order raw materials from Hau Giang at double the usual price. Rising investment costs and consecutive losses, driving farmers to consider other crops.
