Ho Vinh Sang, Presidentof the Ben Tre Coconut Association, said that the locality exports about100 million coconuts each year, making up one-fifth of the provincialcoconut production.
He clarified provincial damage caused bylarge amount of coconut exports is seen in losing additional coconutvalues, reducing jobs and tapering off contribution to the provincialeconomic growth.
Furthermore, Vietnamese enterprises haveencountered an unequally competitive environment as numerous Chinesetaxes have been levied on Vietnamese coconut exports to the country,while Chinese traders are exempt from tax when purchasing raw coconutmaterials in Vietnam.
According to a study conducted by Dr TranTien Khai and his co-workers from Ho Chi Minh City University ofEconomics, large-scale coconut cultivation and processed coconutproducts will bring higher revenue than the export of material coconutsand semi processed commodities.
Khai said that exports ofprocessed products including desiccated coconut, coconut shell charcoaland coconut jelly, could rake in 575 USD per 1,000 coconuts, well abovethe amount received from selling raw coconuts, compared to only 487 USDearned from 1,000 fresh coconuts.
Ben Tre is the country’s largest coconut cultivation with 63,000 hectares generating 500 million coconuts each year.-VNA