Expanding farm land was not an option, the ministry said, as the last crop was yielded from an area of more than 310,000 ha, surpassing the 2010–20 Government plan by 10,000 ha.

For its last crop, Viet Nam produced 54.8 tonnes per ha, an increase of only around 10 tonnes per ha under 12 years of the ‘One million tonnes sugar-cane programme’. This falls substantially short of the Government target that by 2010 the country will be churning out 65 tonnes per ha and contrasts dramatically with the productivity of big sugar-producing countries such as Australia (93 tonnes per ha), Brazil (85 tonnes per ha), China, India and the Philippines (73 – 76 tonnes per ha).

In view of the country’s low 2006-7 production rate, the ministry has urged localities with sugar processing plants to boost raw material infrastructure.

Adding to this, the MARD would provide financial resources to push agricultural promotion programmes.

"Localities need to complete planning for these programmes before October of each year," MARD deputy minister Diep Kinh Tan said.

But despite the country’s overall limitations, Viet Nam has seen some patchy progress in recent years.

A number of provinces in the south west, including Hau Giang and Soc Trang, have achieved productivity of 250 tonnes per ha and some in the north like Tay Nguyen (the Central Highlands) have recorded productivity of about 80–100 tonnes per ha.

These figures have been attributed to the use of high-quality breeds and efficient cultivation methods and, according to Le Van Vong from Tan Chau District in the southern province of Tay Ninh, enough capital and modern technology were also key.

Vong said his last crop topped productivity of 70 tonnes per ha, much higher than the regional average. The farmer said the profits reaped from each ha of sugar-cane could be as much as VND9 million ($560).

For the sugar-cane industry, the issue of high-quality breeds, enough fertiliser and application of high-technology is top priority, and this added with the prospect of applying these measures nationwide renders the problem all the more challenging.