Crop for Poverty Reduction in Tay Ninh Province

Cassava is a major crop in Tay Ninh province. Developing cassava not only creates jobs and alleviates poverty but also increases exports and supplies essential inputs for biofuel production and development.

 

As cassava is easy to grow, cost-effective and disease-resistant, it has been widely and rapidly developed in Duong Minh Chau, Tan Chau, Tan Bien and Chau Thanh districts. To date, cassava acreage in the province has increased dramatically to more than 50,000 ha. With the current good selling price, the area is expected to be enlarged in the coming years.

 

Thanks to efficient production and centralised production, the province has a huge volume of the economically valued commodity. Cassava increases incomes and living standards of farmers. According to experts, the soil conditions in Tay Ninh are very suitable for this crop to grow. Besides, cassava processing industry is a driving force for the rapid development of the food plant because of good sales and good prices. However, the most important factor is many farmers escape from poverty after planting the crop. Compared with other crops, cassava has similar income but investment is much smaller. A farmer can harvest 25 tonnes of cassava a hectare and earns a net profit of VND20 million, or higher if selling prices are higher, of course. If productivity increases, the amount of profit equals that from growing rubber while investment capital and tending are much less. With rising prices, many local farmers continuously expand their cassava area by replacing other short-day industrial crops and reclaiming uncultivated land. Currently, farmers have better knowledge of new farming techniques and fertilisation. As a result, the productivity is always very high.

 

Nonetheless, cassava productivity depends on various factors. Mr Vo Van Hung, Director of Tay Ninh Agricultural Extension Centre, said the cassava strain is crucial to the sustainable development. The centre has encouraged farmers in Tay Ninh to plant KM-94, KM 101, KM 140 and KM98-5 cassava varieties with average productivity of 40 tonnes a hectare. But, to ensure sustainable cassava development, we need varieties with productivity of 60 - 80 tonnes a hectare.

 

In this regard, Tay Ninh Sugar Co., Ltd transferred cultivating technologies and farming techniques for SM 937-26, KM228, Raybon-60, Raybon80 and other strains it acquired from the Southern Agricultural Science and Technology Institute. Besides, this unit invested in more than 550 ha of land in Tan Chau district to produce cassava and build a 5 ha cassava nursery in mid-2011. This is a positive step in planning high-yield material zones.

 

Recently, many investors from Japan, the United States, Spain, Singapore and other countries came to Tay Ninh province to survey tapioca processing. A group of investors invested a large-scale CDM project in the province, thus facilitating the expansion of farming areas.

 

The cassava growing area is being expanded as farmers expected, but soil quality, especially fertility, decreases because of improper farming techniques. Therefore, the province must strengthen control over material area development to put an end to the current unplanned development. At the same time, farmers must be guided with technical processes for sustainable development and high economic value.