The sustainable development of
the cashew industry will require replacement of old trees with high-quality
seedlings, transfer of advanced farming techniques, and intercropping methods,
the Department of Crop Production has said.
The national plan to improve
cashew yields aims for a total cultivation area of 300,000ha, with average
productivity of 1.5 ton per hectare and annual total output of 450,000 tons by
2020, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The country also wants to double
the ratio of fully processed nuts to 20 per cent, and process more cashew
shells and wood to add product value.
The four provinces of Bình
Phước, Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, and Bình
Thuận are expected to remain the main cashew cultivation areas, with a
combined growing area of 200,000ha, with average productivity of 2 tons per
hectare.
Speaking at a seminar in HCM City
on May 12, Nguyễn Văn Hòa, deputy head of the Department of Crop
Production, said the cashew industry had increased export volume and value in
recent years, and had created more jobs.
By using intensive farming
techniques, including sufficient care, fertilisers and water, cashew farmers
have gained 20-60 per cent higher productivity and efficiency.
To develop the industry in a
sustainable manner, he said the industry should encourage farmers to use
intensive cultivation methods to raise yields.
Older plants should be cut down
and replaced with new plants, but this should occur gradually to ensure stable
income, Hoà said.
Farmers should focus on planting
new high-quality strains resistant to disease and climate change, he added.
Trần Công Khanh, director
of the Cashew Research and Development Center, said the industry should
encourage modern technologies and equipment to expand processing capacity,
improve quality, and ensure hygiene and food safety.
He urged the Government to devise
clear zoning plans for cashew cultivation and invest more in the development of
high-quality strains.
Free trade agreements
Nguyễn Đức
Thanh, chairman of the Việt Nam Cashew Association, said lower tariffs
under free trade agreements, including the upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership,
would enable Vietnamese firms to increase exports to member countries.
However, to capitalise on
opportunities brought from FTAs, domestic firms need to improve quality to meet
strict hygiene and food safety regulations imposed by import markets, he said.
He said the Government should
help cashew processors improve their technologies and encourage the
establishment of large-scale cashew farming models.
According to the ministry, the
area under cashew last year fell by 3,269ha over 2014 to 291,959ha, yielding a
total output of 345,000 tons.
Last year, Việt Nam earned
US$2.5 billion from cashew exports, an increase of 20.2 per cent over 2014.
In the first four months of the
year, the country earned $688.6 million from exports of 91,000 tons of cashew
nuts, a year-on-year increase of 7.7 per cent in volume and 14.6 per cent in
value.
Vietnamese cashew nuts are
available in 80 countries and territories, with the US, EU and China the
largest buyers.