Billion-dollar-bring-in trees for Vietnam may loose its top spot, why?

Billion-dollar-bring-in trees for Vietnam may loose its top spot, why?

(06/22/2017) Billion-dollar-bring-in trees for Vietnam may loose its top spot, why?

The subjectivity in dealing with extreme weather, the disease in the last two crops and the ability to reach to the world raw material areas posed many challenges for the domestic industry.

This is a statement made by many businesses at the Steering Committee on Sustainable Development in 2017 extended by MARD held this morning (1.6) in Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Tuan - General Director of Long An Lafooco Export Processing JSC, said that our cashew processing capacity has far exceeded the capacity of cultivation. But this capacity is heavily dependent on raw cashew inputs.

"If we do not soon focus on sustainable production, ensuring the productivity of raw materials, then the advantages will move to other countries," warned Tuan.

Domestic gardens need intensive farming and soil improvement to increase productivity

For example, taken by Mr.Tuan, raw materials in Africa are brought to Vietnam for processing, then exported to Europe . If Africa goes directly, the distance will be closer. Or Cambodia has a climate, the soil similar to Vietnam while its market is quite good.

"With an area of about 300,000 hectares, but Vietnam only accounts for a very small amount (9%) of the world cashew nut production. It must rise to 20% so that Vietnamese cashew nut field could be sustainable and businesses could enjoy better benefits. This based on the capacity to reach 3-4 tons / ha by applying intensive farming.” said Mr.Tuan.

Adding to that view, Mr. Nguyen Trung Anh, Director of Research and Development Pan Group, said that the impact of the reduction in crop yields is a potential risk for the position of top knot if the problems are approached  soon.

"First priority is to promote intensive farming, improve the technology to increase productivity because the plants do not flowering together at the same time in many cultivated areas." said Trung Anh. The second is that in many places, people do not prune branches canopy, it is difficult to spray and collect cashew nut for the trees over 20m high.