Analyzing Drought Adaptation Practices of Sugarcane Growers in Thanh Cong, Thach Thanh District, Thanh Hoa, Vietnam

Abstract

To understand drought adaptation practices, we compared two groups of sugarcane growers in Thanh Cong commune, Thach Thanh district, Thanh Hoa province in Vietnam. Results of this study point out that farmers, depending on their preferred type of market channels, reacted differently to the impacts of drought. Contractual farmers paid more attention to the impact on sugarcane tillering and sugar content, while market-oriented farmers paid more attention to sugarcane colour, as this trait directly determined the market price on the cane that is either consumed as cane or as juice. In responding to water stress in the growing season, the open market-oriented farmers showed more flexibility in changing their cropping calendar. They were also more willing to invest in enhancing the water management system and in providing organic fertilizer than the contractual farmers. On the other hand, the low cane price and the harvesting date set in contract by the processing company lessened the contractual farmers' flexibility in investing in water management technologies; thus, hampering their adaptation to drought.

Keywords

• Drought adaptation practices
• Sugarcane growers
• Extreme climatic events
• Vietnam