HCM City (VNA) – Cacao growers from Southeast Asian countries gathered in Ho Chi Minh City on June 26 to find ways to enhance cooperation and develop cacao industries in the region.
Industry representatives from Indonesia , Laos , Malaysia , Singapore , Thailand and Vietnam were among the delegates at the two-day Southeast Asian Cacao Conference.
According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong, Vietnam ’s cacao acreage reached more than 10,000ha in June this year, with current prices bringing in 47,000 VND for a kilogram of cacao beans.
He said the growth of the industry was partly due to a Sustainable Cocoa Enterprise Solutions for Smallholders (SUCCESS) Alliance project which helped train thousands of Vietnamese farmers in cacao cultivation, harvest and semi-processing techniques.
To further develop the industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has approved a cacao development plan which aims to increase the country’s cacao-growing acreage to 60,000 by 2015 and earn an export turnover of between 50-60 million USD.
Under the project, Vietnam targets to grow 80,000ha of cacao by 2020, increase the total output of dry cacao beans to 110,000 tonnes and earn an export turnover of between 100-120 million USD by 2020.
Last year, the country produced around 300 tonnes of cacao beans. -Enditem
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