Over 200 scientists, managers and local coffee farmers gathered in Dak Lak province on December 9 to seek solutions for the sustainable replanting of old coffee trees and development of the industrial crops in the Central Highlands.

Director of the National Centre for Agriculture Promotion Phan Huy Thong said the replanting of old coffee trees is not a simple task, requiring measures to ensure the effectiveness of the work and coffee output for exports in the coming years.

Former Chairman of Dak Lak provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Lang highlighted the close connection between effective replanting and sustainable development, stressing the importance of seed selection, growing caring, harvesting and processing to improve the value of coffee beans.

Participants suggested solutions localities develop specific plans on coffee replanting, set up management boards at all levels to ensure the effective implementation of the plans.

They should build a database, document, conduct training courses, workshops and technology transfer to farmers, the participants said.

They also discussed solutions on the quality of coffee varieties, funding and farmers’ access to finance.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Plant Cultivation Department, the country has a 635,000 ha of coffee with plants on 86,000 ha being more than 20 years old and on another 140,000ha, 15-20 years old.

About 1400,000 – 160,000 ha of coffee trees need to be replanted in the next five and 10 years.

The Central Highlands region, comprising Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces, and southern Binh Phuoc province need to replant about 200,000 ha of coffee by 2020.-VNA