Anhui native earns over 10,000 yuan per mu growing sugarcane

Wang Guihong works in the sugarcane field.

In the depths of winter, the open fields on the outskirts of Beijing gradually quieted down. But in Dongshawo Village, Weishanzhuang Town, Daxing District, there is a lush green sugarcane field bustling with activity. "This is a type of sugarcane I introduced from my hometown in the south, and it is very suitable for growing in Daxing." On the 28th, in the sugarcane greenhouse east of the village, farmer Wang Guihong from Anhui said that she had introduced more than 10,000 seedlings of sugarcane varieties such as Golden Cane and Black Horse Cane from her hometown, and after 8 months of cultivation and care, they have now entered the ripening stage.

In one greenhouse, several local residents picked up spades and began cutting sugarcane. According to Wang Guihong, in her hometown of Anhui, almost every household grows sugarcane. By chance, she heard that growing sugarcane in the north and selling it through pick-your-own harvesting could fetch a much higher price than in the south.

"I calculated that for northerners to eat southern sugarcane, it has to pass through at least four or five middlemen, taking at least 20 days at the fastest." Wang Guihong said she then thought about growing sugarcane from her hometown directly on the outskirts of Beijing, and it would surely be very popular. Two years ago, she and her husband brought the main varieties from their hometown, such as Golden Cane and Black Horse Cane, and contracted open fields in Huoxian Town, Tongzhou, to begin trial open-field planting. "The first year, we hadn't studied the northern weather and soil conditions thoroughly enough, and we still planted according to southern methods. Unexpectedly, northern springs have strong winds and low temperatures, and not long after raising the seedlings, many sugarcane plants were broken by the wind due to poor water culture conditions.

Wang Guihong and her husband did not lose heart. They then moved to Weishanzhuang Town in Daxing District, selected a site in Dongshawo Village, contracted 6 mu of land, and switched from open-field planting to greenhouse planting. "The temperature difference between day and night in the north is large. With proper management, the taste will be crisper and sweeter." Wang Guihong said she specifically chose to rent a greenhouse in the village right next to Pang'an Road, making it convenient for passersby to enter the greenhouse to visit and buy. "Seedling cultivation and planting began in February this year, with 1,200 plants planted in each greenhouse. Compared with the south, the key to successfully growing sugarcane in Beijing is seedling cultivation and soil mounding." Wang Guihong said.

To reduce planting costs, Wang Guihong also intercropped watermelon, cucumber and others among the sugarcane, increasing her returns. "In the past, when growing sugarcane in my hometown, we had to rely on vendors coming to the door to buy it, and the money we earned was all hard-earned. Now, adjacent to Pang'an Road, we use the pick-your-own route, and supply almost falls short of demand." Wang Guihong said that she has now mastered a mature set of management techniques for growing southern sugarcane in the north, and the sugarcane she grows is of very high quality. "The large ones are 20 yuan each, and the small ones are 10 yuan each. The net income per mu can reach 15,000 yuan, which is a very considerable return." Wang Guihong said.