Cacao Plantation Promoted

After a successful experiment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will include the plantation of cacao in the development programme to increase from 13,000 hectares to 20,000 hectares by 2010, including 10,000 hectares of average yield of 1.5 tonnes per hectare, ensuring 15,000 tonnes of high quality cacao for export.

Mr Tong Khiem, Head of Agriculture Promotion Centre said that to achieve the goal, MARD will plan the cacao plantation, first of all in 14 provinces of the Highlands, East and Central South Vietnam. Although cacao can be planted in 27 provinces, MARD focuses on the planting in four provinces: Binh Phuoc, Ben Tre, Ba Ria- Vung Tau and Binh Dinh to create important resources zones.

MARD gives high priority to the research on cacao species ensuring adequate supply of quality species to the expanded plantation. The Agriculture and Forestry Institute in the Central Highlands has developed hybrid cacao on an area of 7.5 hectares. Financial support has also been increased in training, processing and intensive cultivation including 100 per cent of poor households and 50-60 per cent of households above the poverty line planting cacao. Presently, nearly 3,000 hectares of cacao have been planted in nine provinces with 600 hectares giving yields of 1.5 tonnes per hectare, some even at 2 tonnes per hectare.

Cacao is a tropical tree suitable to dry land and can be planted together with cashew nut, coconut and coffee, preventing erosion and protecting the environment. In the past, due to shortages of outlets, Vietnam did not develop  cacao planting. Vietnamese cacao is exported at US$1,600- US$1,700 a tonne. Farmers sell at VND123,000 per kg of dried cacao. Therefore, the price of cacao is higher than coffee and other crops, while the investment is lower (VND15-20 million per hectare), the harvest starts earlier and the crop life is longer.

• B.T