Shibie Sugar Mill: Early Management of Ratoon Cane Boosts Yield and Efficiency

To ensure the sustained stability and high yield of the sugarcane industry, Shibie Sugar Mill, a subsidiary of Boqing Company, has proactively launched comprehensive early planting and meticulous management efforts for ratoon cane since March this year. Through a series of innovative measures, including extensive public awareness campaigns, vigorous promotion of agricultural machinery, deployment of technical staff to provide on-site guidance, and the implementation of attractive subsidy incentives, the mill has successfully ignited a fervor for early care and increased income across the cane-growing regions, injecting strong momentum into this year's stable and high sugarcane yields. **1. Seizing the Agricultural Season: Emphasizing Timeliness** The timeliness of ratoon cane care directly impacts the sprouting rate of cane stubble, the tillering-to-stalk formation rate, and the crop's subsequent resilience. Shibie Sugar Mill's agricultural team closely monitors the farming calendar, prioritizing 'early' action throughout the management process. Early care not only significantly enhances the quality of sugarcane growth but also helps farmers rationally schedule their agricultural activities, avoiding conflicts with other busy farming periods (such as silkworm rearing), thereby securing ample time for meticulous management. As early as February, the mill had already formulated and released its work plan for early ratoon cane care, clarifying various subsidy policies. Concurrently, through a combination of online and offline methods, including mobilization meetings, distribution of promotional materials, and information dissemination via village WeChat groups, knowledge about early care and support policies was widely popularized, embedding the concept of 'early care' deeply in the hearts of farmers. **2. Mechanization Boosts Management Efficiency** Promoting mechanized care is the preferred and most efficient method for implementing early care. Currently, integrated machines for furrow breaking, stubble loosening, and hilling are highly popular in the fields, completing multiple processes in a single pass, significantly saving labor and time. These machines, equipped with Beidou navigation systems, achieve precise planting and efficient management, becoming the focal point at every field demonstration. They allow farmers to directly experience the significant advantages of mechanized management: time and labor-saving, standardized, and highly efficient. By early March, Shibie Sugar Mill had organized nearly 20 ratoon cane care field demonstrations in the cane-growing areas, attracting over a thousand attendees, including cane farmers, large-scale growers, and cane managers, for observation and learning. Through these on-site demonstrations, farmers have become more proficient in management techniques, and their enthusiasm for early care continues to run high. **3. Decentralized Services: Becoming Farmers' Trusted Partners** "The technicians visit frequently, and we can ask questions anytime, which gives us great peace of mind," remarked Wei Langhua, a cane farmer from Baotou Village, Liusanjie Town, Yizhou District, Hechi City. Last year, her ratoon cane yield was less than 6 tons per mu due to inadequate management. This year, under the guidance of technicians, she applied fertilizer early and hilled scientifically. "Looking at the current growth, the yield should definitely be better than last year." To ensure that early care measures are effectively implemented, Shibie Sugar Mill has established a service system based on zoned responsibility for villages and households, ensuring that every village's cane farmers receive dedicated service from agricultural staff, truly acting as 'nannies' for the farmers. Agricultural staff are responsible for urging farmers to undertake early care, while agricultural technicians delve into the fields to provide scientific guidance and answer questions. They also invite experienced large-scale growers to conduct demonstration presentations, guiding farmers on scientific fertilization and early pest and disease control, forming a closed-loop service of "supervision + guidance + demonstration." **4. Policy Incentives: Motivating Farmers' Proactive Engagement** To fully mobilize farmers' enthusiasm for early care, Shibie Sugar Mill has introduced several subsidy policies: for ratoon cane that undergoes furrow breaking or extensive hilling before mid-April, a labor subsidy of 25 yuan per mu is provided; for ratoon cane that receives one-time fertilization, hilling, and full film mulching, a subsidy of 150 yuan per mu is offered; and for the application of specific fertilizers and pesticides that enhance cane quality and sugar content, corresponding subsidies are also available. The disbursement of subsidies is strictly controlled, with cane managers and agricultural staff tracking and supervising the quality of work. Subsidies are only disbursed after ensuring that care technical procedures have been effectively implemented, thereby guaranteeing that every penny of subsidy is utilized effectively and yields tangible results. It is understood that the ratoon cane area in Shibie Sugar Mill's region is approximately 260,000 mu, with over 100,000 mu having already completed effective furrow breaking, hilling, fertilization, and pesticide application. It is anticipated that by the end of April, most of the ratoon cane in the entire mill's cane-growing area will have received effective care, laying a solid foundation for a high-sugar, bountiful harvest in this year's "sweet endeavor."