Vietnam's Cocoa Rated the Best Quality in Asia
The cocoa beans cultivated in Mekong Delta Ben Tre province have been ranked top in Asia, the US's Cargill Corporation said.
The Cargill Vietnam, one of the biggest exporters of Vietnam's cocoa, has sent samples of cocoa beans from Ben Tre to the US for testing, which showed the fat content of Vietnam's cocoa reaching 55-56 per cent.
Ben Tre province now has about 10,000ha of land suitable for cacoa cultivation but only 2,000ha are in use, including 600ha currently in the harvest period. Each hectare under intermingled cacao and coconut trees produces about 1.5 tons of cocoa beans per year, which fetches VND 22,000-22,500 per kg.
Another major exporter, the British-invested ED&F MAN Vietnam Company, has set up a station to purchase cocoa beans in Ben Tre province. The company also exported a batch of 12 tons of fermented cocoa beans.
Vietnam now has about 8,000 ha of cacao, mainly in the southern provinces of Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Binh Phuoc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Dong Nai, and in the central highlands provinces of Dak Lak and Dak Nong. The country plans to expand its cacao acreage to 20,000 ha by 2010. (Vietnam & World Economy, VNS)
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