Insight Focus
- In this series, we’re following farmers around the world.
- We’ll look at what they’re up to on the farm, hear their concerns, and celebrate their triumphs.
- Here’s the link to the farmers’ bios in case you missed them.
How Does Your Cane Look, Henrique?
We’ve been monitoring their development using NDVI images (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) images.
We’ve also used drones, UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) flights and manual surveys in the field.
In doing so, we noticed frequent sprouting failures, reaching up to 60% in the most affected areas.
So, in the younger cane fields with lower percentage losses, we’re replanting to save the area and avoid high costs with renovation.
And in areas with large agricultural losses, we’re working with foliar fertilisation protocols to increase productivity and plant development.
What About the Areas Affected by Frost and/or Fire?
Many of the areas affected by the frost and fire did not resprout and are undergoing renovation with the cultivation of soy.
The few areas that managed to withstand these issues are performing as normal. They just need a little more care and attention. For instance, we’ve had to reapply herbicide and fertilise with micro and macronutrients (e.g. Nitrogen).
What Are Your Main Challenges for 2022/23?
The greatest challenges should be the lack of agricultural inputs and volatile market conditions. Fertiliser prices shouldn’t stabilise yet, which bodes poorly for our cane crop.
The shortage of agricultural inputs will be worsened by the fact that the region’s soybean producers are coming off the back of a very good crop and will likely pre-order their next set of inputs, further weakening supply.
The cane fields will require a lot of care, as we’ve had two dry years with severe frosts. It’ll be essential to guarantee the supply of agricultural inputs, such as fertiliser.
All in all, 2022/23 could be a very demanding season, with the crops requiring a lot of maintenance, which will ultimately lead to higher productions costs.
Other Insights That May Be of Interest…
The World Needs More Sugar…Who Can Help?
