Binh Dinh sugar firm halt threatens sugar cane growers
Farmers in the central province of Binh Dinh are seeking outlets for sugarcane after Binh Dinh Sugar JS Company (Bisuco) halted operations to deal with its environmental pollution.
Le Van Dau, chairman of Vinh Thanh District People’s Committee, said that currently around 5,000 tonnes of sugarcane in the locality needed to be harvested. Meanwhile, Tay Son District now has an inventory of some 20,000 tonnes.
Last year, a tonne of sugarcane was sold for VND900,000 (USD40.91), which meant it was profitable for farmers. But since Bisuco’s closedown, farmers have difficulties finding outlets and so have been squeezed on prices. At present, a tonne of sugarcane is only priced at VND400,000 -500,000 (USD18.18-22.72), while the fees for harvesting and transportation have gone up. As a result, farmers are seeing losses of VND200,000-300,000 per tonne of sugarcane.
To improve the situation, authorities in Vinh Thanh and Tay Son districts have asked An Khe Sugar Factory in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai to buy sugarcane for local farmers.
A representative from An Khe Sugar Factory said that the factory will try to buy the sugarcane for farmers in Binh Dinh next month. Presently, the factory is buying sugarcane at VND800,000 per tonne and subsidizing transportation fees of VND200,000 per tonne.
Dozens of trucks are rushing to Bisuco to take the company’s sugar to recover debts.
Do Dinh Cu in Tay Giang Commune, Tay Son District, said that Bisuco still owed him more than VND1 billion for his sugarcane.
Bisuco was requested to halt its operations from March 23 this year after being found to have directly discharged waste water into the Kon River many times. Local authorities have warned the company of the violations, but, they were ignored.
Binh Dinh Sugar JS Company
Le Van Dau, chairman of Vinh Thanh District People’s Committee, said that currently around 5,000 tonnes of sugarcane in the locality needed to be harvested. Meanwhile, Tay Son District now has an inventory of some 20,000 tonnes.
Last year, a tonne of sugarcane was sold for VND900,000 (USD40.91), which meant it was profitable for farmers. But since Bisuco’s closedown, farmers have difficulties finding outlets and so have been squeezed on prices. At present, a tonne of sugarcane is only priced at VND400,000 -500,000 (USD18.18-22.72), while the fees for harvesting and transportation have gone up. As a result, farmers are seeing losses of VND200,000-300,000 per tonne of sugarcane.
To improve the situation, authorities in Vinh Thanh and Tay Son districts have asked An Khe Sugar Factory in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai to buy sugarcane for local farmers.
A representative from An Khe Sugar Factory said that the factory will try to buy the sugarcane for farmers in Binh Dinh next month. Presently, the factory is buying sugarcane at VND800,000 per tonne and subsidizing transportation fees of VND200,000 per tonne.
Dozens of trucks are rushing to Bisuco to take the company’s sugar to recover debts.
Do Dinh Cu in Tay Giang Commune, Tay Son District, said that Bisuco still owed him more than VND1 billion for his sugarcane.
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