The development of science-technology in coffee cultivation throughcontributions from the Central Highlands Agriculture and ForestryScience Institute (CASI) has helped Vietnam establish itself as theworld’s second largest coffee producer and top Robusta coffee exporter.
CASI Director Dr Le Ngoc Bau said after 1975, whenSouthern Vietnam was liberated and the country was reunified, theCentral Highlands had only 12,000 hectares of coffee trees with severalhundreds of kilograms of beans per hectare.
Theregion is now home to more than 90 percent of Vietnam’s 635,000 hectaresof coffee trees which generate 2.3-2.5 tonnes of beans every hectareand more than 1.5 million tonnes of beans every crop; a productivitythat is currently 2.5-3 times higher than the global average, he added.
In 2014, Vietnam exported more than 1.7 milliontonnes of coffee beans worth over 3.4 billion USD, ranking second interms of export value after rice.
Bau said over thepast decade, the CASI has focused its resources on researching keycultivation methods for seedling production, growing techniques, andlow-yield tree improvement.
Between 2000 and 2010,the institute successfully created nine Robusta varieties, from TR4 toTR13, by cross-breeding and two Arabica varieties, TN1 and TN2. All ofwhich were recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, he noted.
The new Robusta varietiesgenerate about 4.5-7.3 tonnes of beans per hectare every crop, 30percent more productive than traditional varieties, with bigger beans(17-23 grams every 100 beans). Most importantly, they are highly capableof resisting the leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix), a disease that cancause serious damage to coffee trees.
These varieties have been provided for local farmers to replace old ones, the Director added.
The CASI has also developed and instructed the use of effectivewatering and fertilising methods, techniques for other cultivationsteps, and harvesting and processing technologies to farmers.
In the years ahead, his institute will continue developing high-yieldand high-quality varieties and more effective growing techniques whileconducting in-depth studies on coffee diseases and pests to helpVietnam’s coffee sector develop sustainably, Bau noted.-VNA
CASI Director Dr Le Ngoc Bau said after 1975, whenSouthern Vietnam was liberated and the country was reunified, theCentral Highlands had only 12,000 hectares of coffee trees with severalhundreds of kilograms of beans per hectare.
Theregion is now home to more than 90 percent of Vietnam’s 635,000 hectaresof coffee trees which generate 2.3-2.5 tonnes of beans every hectareand more than 1.5 million tonnes of beans every crop; a productivitythat is currently 2.5-3 times higher than the global average, he added.
In 2014, Vietnam exported more than 1.7 milliontonnes of coffee beans worth over 3.4 billion USD, ranking second interms of export value after rice.
Bau said over thepast decade, the CASI has focused its resources on researching keycultivation methods for seedling production, growing techniques, andlow-yield tree improvement.
Between 2000 and 2010,the institute successfully created nine Robusta varieties, from TR4 toTR13, by cross-breeding and two Arabica varieties, TN1 and TN2. All ofwhich were recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, he noted.
The new Robusta varietiesgenerate about 4.5-7.3 tonnes of beans per hectare every crop, 30percent more productive than traditional varieties, with bigger beans(17-23 grams every 100 beans). Most importantly, they are highly capableof resisting the leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix), a disease that cancause serious damage to coffee trees.
These varieties have been provided for local farmers to replace old ones, the Director added.
The CASI has also developed and instructed the use of effectivewatering and fertilising methods, techniques for other cultivationsteps, and harvesting and processing technologies to farmers.
In the years ahead, his institute will continue developing high-yieldand high-quality varieties and more effective growing techniques whileconducting in-depth studies on coffee diseases and pests to helpVietnam’s coffee sector develop sustainably, Bau noted.-VNA
