Ba Ria-Vung Tau (VNA) - The 24th meeting of the National Focal Point for the ASEAN Cocoa Club (ACC) on ASEAN Cooperation and Joint Approaches in Agriculture and Forest Products Promotion Scheme opened in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on October 9.
Addressing the event, ACC Chairman Ramle Hj. Kasin said that Vietnam has advantages in cocoa development and its cocoa area is expanding.
Vietnam has begun establishing a sustainable linkage chain in the sector between producers and the market, providing cocoa beans and powder to regional markets in service of intensive processing, he said.
He noted that the club members are working together to improve the quality of cocoa plants and reduce pesticide residues.
Director of the National Agricultural Extension Centre Le Quoc Thanh said that based on experiences shared by domestic and international experts at the meeting, the centre will devise plans and strategies concerning cocoa planning, land use, and cultivation processes, and projects in support of producers, and conduct transfer technology. This will help producers master farming techniques and participate in sustainable linkage chains, he added.
To Viet Chau, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said Vietnam and other ASEAN member countries have cooperation plans to expand the industry and export cocoa products to the global market.
The four-day meeting aims to provide information on technical advancements in cocoa production and discuss solutions to improve cocoa quality and ensure food safety and hygiene in the industry. Sustainable cocoa production models will also be introduced and cocoa-growing regions in Vietnam will be promoted on this occasion.
Participants will review previous meetings, and seek ways to address tariff and non-tariff barriers and unfair trade practices imposed by importers, enhance trade in and outside the bloc, and raise the long-term competitiveness of ASEAN cocoa products./.
