Coffee farmers and enterprises in the Central Highlands province ofDak Lak are increasingly using their old Robusta coffee plantationswith low yield to cultivate cacao.
Cacao offers far greater economic benefit especially in areas not mostsuited to coffee cultivation, provincial officials have said.
Currently, fermented cacao is priced at 58,000 VND (3.1 USD) per kiloin the province, while a kilo of coffee fetches 29,200 VND-30,200 VND,according to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade.
Many farmers have also planted cacao in their cashew gardens, accordingto the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The Krong Ana Coffee Company a is growing cacao on 300ha,getting yield of 1.5-2 tonnes par ha. The October Coffee Company hasreplaced 250ha of low yielding coffee plants with cacao, and more than150ha of the new crop has produced fruits with an output of nearly 2tonnes per ha. The 715 C Plantation has also cut down most of itsold Robusta coffee plants to grow other crops, including 150ha of cacao.
The Central Highlands Agro-Forestry Science andTechnology Institute is developing cacao varieties with high quality andyield and has set up a nursery to provide the sapplings to farmers inthe province.
The institute has also cooperated with localagricultural officials and companies to instruct farmers on propercacao cultivation methods.
Dak Lak, which is one of thecountry’s leading producers of cacao, now grows the crop on more than3,500ha, mostly in Ea Kar, Lak and Krong Ana districts.
Cacao has been grown in the province since 1997. The provincial People’sCommittee has targeted to expand the area under cacao cultivation to6,000ha by the end of this year.
Apart from the greatereconomic benefits, cacao has the advantage of being a drought resistantcrop that yields fruit faster than coffee and also for a slightly longerperiod. While cacao bears fruits after 12-14 months of cultivation,coffee can take three to four years. Cacao also yield fruits for about30 years, slightly longer than coffee which is productive for 20-25years./.
Cacao offers far greater economic benefit especially in areas not mostsuited to coffee cultivation, provincial officials have said.
Currently, fermented cacao is priced at 58,000 VND (3.1 USD) per kiloin the province, while a kilo of coffee fetches 29,200 VND-30,200 VND,according to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade.
Many farmers have also planted cacao in their cashew gardens, accordingto the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The Krong Ana Coffee Company a is growing cacao on 300ha,getting yield of 1.5-2 tonnes par ha. The October Coffee Company hasreplaced 250ha of low yielding coffee plants with cacao, and more than150ha of the new crop has produced fruits with an output of nearly 2tonnes per ha. The 715 C Plantation has also cut down most of itsold Robusta coffee plants to grow other crops, including 150ha of cacao.
The Central Highlands Agro-Forestry Science andTechnology Institute is developing cacao varieties with high quality andyield and has set up a nursery to provide the sapplings to farmers inthe province.
The institute has also cooperated with localagricultural officials and companies to instruct farmers on propercacao cultivation methods.
Dak Lak, which is one of thecountry’s leading producers of cacao, now grows the crop on more than3,500ha, mostly in Ea Kar, Lak and Krong Ana districts.
Cacao has been grown in the province since 1997. The provincial People’sCommittee has targeted to expand the area under cacao cultivation to6,000ha by the end of this year.
Apart from the greatereconomic benefits, cacao has the advantage of being a drought resistantcrop that yields fruit faster than coffee and also for a slightly longerperiod. While cacao bears fruits after 12-14 months of cultivation,coffee can take three to four years. Cacao also yield fruits for about30 years, slightly longer than coffee which is productive for 20-25years./.
