An organic coconut grove in Ben Tre province’s Thanh Phu district. (Photo: VNA) With around 77,000ha of orchards and an output of 700,000 tonnes a year, it isthe country’s largest coconut producing province.
More than 16,000ha have organic coconut grown, mostly in Giong Trom, Mo CayNam, Binh Dai, Thanh Phu, Ba Tri, and Mo Cay Bac districts, under contractswith processing companies.
Huynh Quang Duc, deputy director of the province Department of Agriculture andRural Development, said the focus is on developing farmers’ linkages with eachother and with companies.
The province has also assisted co-operatives and co-operative groups to improvetheir capacity and efficiency in making coconut products for value chains, hesaid.
It has successfully developed coconut growing areas meeting internationalorganic standards and value chains for them, he said.
There are 100 local companies that make high-value products and many exportthem, he added.
The province has 47 coconut co-operative groups and 27 co-operatives, and plansto set up at least another 13 co-operatives by 2025.
The Thoi Thanh Agriculture Co-operative in Thanh Phu district’s Thoi Thanh communehas nearly 120ha of organic coconut and sells 100,000 nuts to the Luong QuoiCoconut Co. Ltd a month.
The province is developing five concentrated organic farming areas with a totalof 1,500ha for harvesting mature nuts for their flesh and another of 20ha foryoung ones for milk./.
VNA
