Workers husk mature coconuts in Ben Tre province. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Provinces in the Mekong Delta that grow coconut are setting upcooperative teams and finding buyers to help farmers recover from low pricesover the last 12 months.
The delta has about130,000ha of coconut, accounting for nearly 79 percent of the country’s total.Ben Tre and Tra Vinh provinces have the largest coconut areas in the delta.
As prices have been verylow for around a year, coconut farmers are making little profits.
The price of maturecoconuts in Ben Tre and Tra Vinh is currently between 20,000 VND and 45,000 VND(85 US cents–1.9 USD) per dozen, compared to about 80,000 VND per dozen lastyear.
Nguyen Huu Lap, Vice Chairmanof the Ben Tre Province People’s Committee, said the province was building acoconut value chain to improve incomes.
The province has set upcooperative teams and cooperatives that now have a combined 2,139 householdsthat plant 1,600ha of coconuts. Companies have guaranteed outlets for thecoconut output of these households.
The provincialDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development in cooperation with agencies isacting as a link to connect farmers and companies.
Three Ben Tre-basedcompanies, Luong Quoi Coconut Co., Ltd, Ben Tre Import and Export Joint StockCorporation (BETRIMEX), and Asia Coconut Processing Joint Stock Company,have promised to buy coconuts from farmers with contracts at a minimum price of50,000 VND (2.1 USD) per dozen for mature coconuts.
Since last year, the three companies have purchased 10.5 millionmature coconuts and 217 tonnes of fresh mature coconut meat from farmers.
According to Nguyen Van Tron, head of the Hung Le commune cooperativeteam to renovate coconut orchards in Ben Tre’s Giong Trom district, the cooperativehas 59 members who grow a total of 62ha under organic farming methods.
All coconut output of the cooperative teams is purchased by BETRIMEX.
“Participating in this co-operation model, coconut farmers nowhave many advantages, including guaranteed outlets and stable prices.”
The organic farming method, which has helped improve the soil,does not pollute the environment.
Huynh Quang Duc, Deputy Directorof Ben Tre province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, saidthat it was important to raise awareness of farmers about coconut value chains,and that farmers should use advanced techniques to improve yield and quality.
Ben Tre has more than72,000ha of coconut with annual output of more than 600 million nuts,accounting for 42 percent of the country’s total area, the country’s largestcoconut producer, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture andRural Development.
Of the province’scoconut area, 80 percent are planted to harvest mature coconuts, while the restis for young coconuts that can be used for drinking.
Coconut farmers in BenTre have an average income of 68 million VND (2,910 USD) per hectare a year.
Tra Vinh has nearly20,000ha of coconut, second to Ben Tre. The province has identified coconut isone of its key agricultural trees. The province is applying advanced farmingtechniques and developing markets.
Starting this year to2020, it will spend more than 12 billion VND (514,000 USD) for coconut varietiesthat can survive in drought and saltwater intrusion, as well as for assistanceto farmers who grow coconut under Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices(VietGAP) standards.
Pham Minh Truyen, DeputyDirector of Tra Vinh province’s Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said the province would use available resources to help coconutprocessors diversify their products.
It would call forinvestors to build a plant to produce canned coconut water, coconut powder, andhandicraft products made from coconuts, he said.- VNS/VNA
The delta has about130,000ha of coconut, accounting for nearly 79 percent of the country’s total.Ben Tre and Tra Vinh provinces have the largest coconut areas in the delta.
As prices have been verylow for around a year, coconut farmers are making little profits.
The price of maturecoconuts in Ben Tre and Tra Vinh is currently between 20,000 VND and 45,000 VND(85 US cents–1.9 USD) per dozen, compared to about 80,000 VND per dozen lastyear.
Nguyen Huu Lap, Vice Chairmanof the Ben Tre Province People’s Committee, said the province was building acoconut value chain to improve incomes.
The province has set upcooperative teams and cooperatives that now have a combined 2,139 householdsthat plant 1,600ha of coconuts. Companies have guaranteed outlets for thecoconut output of these households.
The provincialDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development in cooperation with agencies isacting as a link to connect farmers and companies.
Three Ben Tre-basedcompanies, Luong Quoi Coconut Co., Ltd, Ben Tre Import and Export Joint StockCorporation (BETRIMEX), and Asia Coconut Processing Joint Stock Company,have promised to buy coconuts from farmers with contracts at a minimum price of50,000 VND (2.1 USD) per dozen for mature coconuts.
Since last year, the three companies have purchased 10.5 millionmature coconuts and 217 tonnes of fresh mature coconut meat from farmers.
According to Nguyen Van Tron, head of the Hung Le commune cooperativeteam to renovate coconut orchards in Ben Tre’s Giong Trom district, the cooperativehas 59 members who grow a total of 62ha under organic farming methods.
All coconut output of the cooperative teams is purchased by BETRIMEX.
“Participating in this co-operation model, coconut farmers nowhave many advantages, including guaranteed outlets and stable prices.”
The organic farming method, which has helped improve the soil,does not pollute the environment.
Huynh Quang Duc, Deputy Directorof Ben Tre province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, saidthat it was important to raise awareness of farmers about coconut value chains,and that farmers should use advanced techniques to improve yield and quality.
Ben Tre has more than72,000ha of coconut with annual output of more than 600 million nuts,accounting for 42 percent of the country’s total area, the country’s largestcoconut producer, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture andRural Development.
Of the province’scoconut area, 80 percent are planted to harvest mature coconuts, while the restis for young coconuts that can be used for drinking.
Coconut farmers in BenTre have an average income of 68 million VND (2,910 USD) per hectare a year.
Tra Vinh has nearly20,000ha of coconut, second to Ben Tre. The province has identified coconut isone of its key agricultural trees. The province is applying advanced farmingtechniques and developing markets.
Starting this year to2020, it will spend more than 12 billion VND (514,000 USD) for coconut varietiesthat can survive in drought and saltwater intrusion, as well as for assistanceto farmers who grow coconut under Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices(VietGAP) standards.
Pham Minh Truyen, DeputyDirector of Tra Vinh province’s Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said the province would use available resources to help coconutprocessors diversify their products.
It would call forinvestors to build a plant to produce canned coconut water, coconut powder, andhandicraft products made from coconuts, he said.- VNS/VNA
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