Solutions for sustainable cocoa production development

On June 14, in Binh Phuoc province, the National Agricultural Extension Center, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development organized the 3rd agricultural extension forum with the theme 'Sustainable cocoa production development. '

Scientists, managers, farmers and businesses have highlighted the advantages and difficulties in developing cocoa trees in the southern provinces.

Representatives of the Department of Crop Production and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported on the current situation of cocoa production and direction in the coming time. Can Tho University provides an overview of science and technology on cocoa trees and solutions for sustainable cocoa development. Cargill raised the status of cocoa quality and solutions to improve the quality of cocoa grown in the southern provinces.

According to incomplete updates of the Department of Crop Production, the total area of ​​cocoa in the country has reached 20,100ha, of which the net planted area is about 2,300ha, the area of ​​intercropping is 17,800ha.

In the first 6 months of 2012, the purchase price of cocoa beans dropped to only 40,000 VND to 45,000 VND / kg of dry beans, while the prices of other agricultural materials increased, making farmers reluctant to invest in cocoa. With the current average yield of 7 quintals / ha, 1ha of cocoa only earns about 27 to 28 million VND, excluding production costs. Some growers sell only 2,500 to 3,500 VND / kg of fresh fruit. Income of cocoa farmers is getting lower and lower.

Facing the above situation, Department of Crop Production has proposed some solutions to focus on implementation in the coming time. In the immediate future, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development needs to review the national cocoa development planning as a basis for localities to implement. Localities evaluate the actual situation of cocoa cultivation in the area and have the most appropriate direction, especially to determine the guidelines and orientations of planning and policies to encourage, direct the work, and widely spread tissues. Figure of cocoa cultivation is effective for farmers to study.

Agricultural Extension Center organizes technical training courses to guide new planting and tending gardens in accordance with technical procedures, especially seed selection, structure of lines, regime of fertilizing, watering and pruning to create canopy , pest and disease prevention.

The agricultural sector needs to closely manage seed production and check the quality of garden seedlings for new planting. Functional agencies need to direct the quality management work, recommending that farmers do not harvest cocoa when it is not mature enough, do not mix cocoa pests and diseases, and carry out proper fermentation; instructing and inspecting cocoa fermentation processing points to ensure the quality of fermented beans. Enterprises that do not consume cocoa do not guarantee quality.

In the long term, the development of high trees in the southern provinces needs to implement 9 solutions, in which the most important prize is highly united by the participants of the forum, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development needs to establish The Center for Cocoa Development Research is the focal point to focus on the research and development of the Vietnamese cocoa industry.

The Ministry should continue to study and complete technical issues for new planting, pure planting and intercropping, care, pest and disease prevention, preliminary fermentation and preservation of cocoa.

The Ministry strengthens investment in selecting cocoa production lines with high productivity and quality and adapting to climate change conditions to soon supplement new varieties for production and well-organized investment links. material areas and cocoa product consumption between enterprises and farmers; proceed to develop the domestic cocoa processing industry to promote cocoa cultivation to become a new key industrial crop in Vietnam.