Vinacas Chairman Pham Van Cong (Photo: Vinacas) Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam’s cashew nut producerswill have to lower their 2020 export target of 4 billion USD as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic make it extremely difficult to achieve, according to Pham Van Cong,Chairman of the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas).
In an interview with the Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper,Cong said COVID-19 has had an unpredictable and substantial impact on thesector.
The 12th International Cashew Conference, initiallyplanned for early March, was postponed to late June and then sometime in 2021.
A tour to explore the Chinese market - part of theNational Trade Promotion Programme - has also been put on hold.
Cong highlighted the widespread impact of the pandemicon the sector, saying that both cashew nut export volumes and prices will fall.A figure of 3 billion USD, however, is entirely feasible, he said.
He advised Vinacas members and businesses involved in the sectorto take precautions when purchasing raw cashews from Cambodia and Africa atthis time.
Vietnamese cashew nut growers are facing their own difficulties,he added, calling on businesses to buy as much of the domestic output aspossible./.
VNA
