Chances for Cacao Growers

The cacao tree development programme in Ben Tre, carried out by Ho Chi Minh City Agriculture and Forestry University, was started up in 2000. At that time, Dr Nguyen Hong Phuoc, Head of the International Cooperation Committee of the university, came to transfer techniques to grow cacao trees in coconut tree gardens to farmers in An Khanh Commune, Chau Thanh District. The cacao tree area in Vietnam has now been expanded to 4,500 ha. Ho Chi Minh City Agriculture and Forestry University chose Ben Tre Province to transfer the cultivation techniques because they wanted to affirm that cacao trees could grow well in coconut gardens and because they know that cacao trees grow well under shade. Meanwhile, the coconut garden in Ben Tre Province is uniquely ideal for the growing model.

 

According to the Vietnam Cacao Development Coordination Committee, eight imported cloning cacao varieties are TD1, TD2, TD3, TD5, TD6, TD8, TD10 and TD14, and five F1 varieties, namely TC5, TC7, TC11, TC12 and TC13 were proven to grow well in southern and central highland regions by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Dr. Phuoc said in comparison with the cultivation of coffee or cashew trees, the growing of cacao trees (in Ben Tre) was more systematic in the initial days. Many cacao grower clubs have been set up in many communes in Ben Tre Province. Through these clubs, farmers are trained in planting, caring, harvesting and fermenting techniques. Two year-old cacao trees begin bearing fruits and their fruits are heaviest at the age of four or five, from 80-100 fruits per tree per year. On average, a cacao fruit weighs 400-450 gram. A kilogram consists of 20-22 dried and husked cacao beans. According to statistics of cacao farmers in Ben Tre, a hectare of coconut garden can plant 700-800 cacao trees, generating more than VND22 million (US$1,375) a year. Hence, farmers are enjoying double economic benefits because they have incomes from both coconut and cacao.

 

According to the statistics of Ben Tre Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ben Tre is now growing cacao trees on nearly 2,000 ha, including 1,100 ha in Chau Thanh District (the largest in Ben Tre). Mr. Nguyen Kim Thuy, specialist of the Cacao Development Programme in Ben Tre said Cargill Group in Vietnam has recently introduced a new cacao variety in Ben Tre, which is proven to have a fat content of 55-56 per cent in the United States. Possibly, the quality of cacao beans grown in Vietnam in general, and Ben Tre in particular, is the highest in Asia.

 

Thuy said the farming habit of farmers prefers simplicity, as they sell out immediately after being harvested. But cacao bean needs fermenting to increase their value. The fermented cacao bean is always higher than the unfermented one.

 

The US-based MARS-M-M Chocolate Company explained for the benefit of the fermented cacao bean that Indonesia, the world’s third largest cacao producer, is still reliant on imported fermented cacao as most of its exported cacao bean is unfermented. Therefore, although this country is redundant of materials, its processing companies still import fermented cacao beans from other countries. In major cacao producers like Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Brazil, Cameroon and Nigeria, all cacao beans are fermented by farmers. According to the US-based company’s experience, the cacao shortage cycle takes place in every two years - two years of redundancy and two years of shortage. When the redundancy cycle comes, processing factories only input fermented beans. This experience is essential for Vietnam which is the new exporter of cacao beans.

 

However, at the moment, both foreign companies and domestic ones are buying in unfermented cacao beans as the demand surpasses the supply. Many said farmers do not need to ferment cacao beans. But according to Mr. Thuy, the techniques for the fermentation of cacao beans are so simple that farmers can do it easily after being instructed. Furthermore, we should prepare systematic steps to gain competitive advantages in case of cacao bean redundancy.