Purple Sugarcane Season in the Land of Muong Bi

In the early days of 2026, the hillsides of Muong Bi are filled with the laughter and voices of local farmers entering the purple sugarcane harvest season. Across the rolling hills of Don, Chua Bua, Chuong, and Ngay hamlets, the deep purple stalks stand out against the fertile brown soil, signaling a prosperous and warm harvest.

On the gentle slopes of Chua Bua hamlet, the deep purple hue of sugarcane stalks dominates the landscape.

With over 1,000 m2 of purple sugarcane, the family of Mrs. Bui Thi Quyen (Chua Bua hamlet, Muong Bi commune) expects to earn over 20 million VND this year. Traders purchase the sugarcane directly at the farm, with prices ranging from 8,000 to 10,000 VND per stalk. "Sugarcane has been with my family for decades. A good harvest means having the funds to cover living expenses and our children’s education," Mrs. Quyen shared while swiftly cutting and bundling sugarcane for the waiting trucks.

According to Mr. Bui Van Son, Deputy Head of Chua Bua hamlet, more than half of the 240 households in the hamlet are currently engaged in sugarcane cultivation. Many families, such as those of Mrs. Dinh Thi Que, Mr. Ta Van Thanh, and Mr. Dinh Cong Ba, manage large-scale farms ranging from 1 to 2 hectares.

Mr. Ta Van Thanh noted that Muong Bi purple sugarcane is highly sought after, with virtually no concerns regarding market outlets. "During the peak harvest, traders come to the fields to buy at stable prices. On average, each hectare yields about 130 to 150 million VND. After deducting costs for seedlings, fertilizer, and labor, this remains a guaranteed and significantly higher income compared to other crops."

With over 1,000 m2, Mrs. Bui Thi Quyen’s family expects to earn 20 million VND—three to four times higher than rice cultivation.

Mr. Bui Minh Hong, Vice Chairman of the Muong Bi People’s Committee, stated that purple sugarcane is a long-standing traditional crop on this land. Local farmers have accumulated high levels of cultivation expertise. As a result, Muong Bi purple sugarcane possesses unique characteristics: long internodes, a deep purple color with a smooth, glossy skin, a soft texture, and a distinctively sweet aroma.

"Purple sugarcane is not only an economic crop but also a simple, rustic gift favored by many during festivals and the Lunar New Year. It is perfectly suited to the local soil conditions, easy to grow, and requires less intensive care while providing 3 to 4 times the income of other crops," added Mr. Hong.

Muong Bi purple sugarcane has long been a famous local specialty. Stalks reaching nearly 2 meters in height, with thick diameters and few nodes, are neatly bundled and transported by traders to rural markets, traditional fairs, and eventually to major urban centers—becoming a rustic yet flavor-rich gift from the mountains.

Thanks to purple sugarcane, many households in Muong Bi have successfully escaped poverty.

Currently, sugarcane in Muong Bi is concentrated in Don, Chua Bua, Chuong, and Ngay hamlets. Statistics show the commune has approximately 320 hectares of sugarcane, including 270 hectares of purple sugarcane and about 50 hectares of white sugarcane. Productivity and value remain stable, averaging 130–150 million VND per hectare. Over 700 out of 4,480 households in the commune are involved in sugarcane farming. The crop plays a vital role in local socio-economic development, contributing to a per capita income of 45 million VND in 2025 and reducing the multidimensional poverty rate to 6.16%.

To enhance production efficiency, the commune has collaborated with the Provincial Innovation and Application Center to organize technical training on tissue-cultured sugarcane cultivation and provided 25,000 tissue-cultured seedlings to farmers. The restructuring of crops on inefficient rice land continues to be implemented to meet market demands, prioritizing high-value crops like sugarcane.

Looking ahead, Muong Bi aims to establish large-scale concentrated production areas and develop key products and OCOP (One Commune, One Product) specialties following organic, safe, and standardized practices such as VietGAP and GlobalGAP. Concurrently, the commune will strengthen brand building and promotion for its primary agricultural products, with purple sugarcane identified as a spearhead crop expected to continue enriching the lives of people on their homeland.

Manh Hung