The Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas) on Nov. 23 was awarded theCertificate of Merit from Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for itscontribution in helping Vietnam become the world's top cashew nutexporter.
Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyen Thai Hoc,chairman of Vinacas, said since its establishment Vinacas had developedthe domestic cashew industry in line with the Government'smacro-economic orientation.
"The association and itsmembers have achieved many good results, making significantcontributions to the sustainable development of the domestic cashewindustry," Hoc said.
The association has 300 members andthree branches, including the Long An Cashew Processing-Import andExport Association, the Binh Phuoc Cashew Association and the Binh PhuocFarmers Association. In 2003, Vinacas was granted the Labour Order, 3rdclass, from the State President.
With help from thegovernment as well as industries and localities, the cashew industry inthe last year improved significantly, particularly in production andprocessing, product diversification, market expansion and technologyrenewal.
As a result, the industry has brought an increasing amount of foreign currency revenue for the country, Hoc said.
"Significantly, although the world economy recovered slowly after theglobal economic crisis, the domestic cashew industry, unlike many otherindustries here, kept developing, with a record export value ofestimated 1 billion USD this year, 2.2 times higher than the target setfor the year," he added.
As a result, Vietnam is now theworld's biggest cashew export earner, and the second biggest cashewproducer, after India , which has had a century of producing cashews.
In addition, Vietnam ranks third after India and the Cote d'Ivoire in productivity and output.
Outstanding achievements that Vinacas and the cashew industry haveobtained since 1990 include: expanding the cashew cultivation area to390,000 hectares, up by 2.1 times compared with the figure recorded in2003; increasing the volume of cashew nuts exported this year to 180,000tonnes, up 2.14 times compared with 83,000 tonnes in 2003; andincreasing export value to 1 billion USD, up 3.5 times higher than 284million USD in 2003.
Vinacas and its member companies, incooperation with scientists, have also implemented many researchprojects that have helped create new cashew hybrids that give high yieldand good quality.
In particular, BL1 and CH1 hybrids canyield between three and four tonnes per hectare while old hybrids couldonly generate 600 to 700 kilos per hectare.
Costs per cashew tree have also fallen, from 10,000 VND to between 2,000 VND and 5,000 VND.
Cashew processing techniques have been updated with automaticequipment, resulting in increased labour productivity that is 10 to 20times higher than that from manual work.
"Proper application of green production technology has also been a main goal of the industry," he said.
A representative of China-based Hai Phu Company said the companydiscovered Vietnam 's quality cashew nuts in 1992 and decided to importthem and sell in China .
"Vietnamese companies gave usactive support in building the market. The first shipment to Chinawas in March 1992, and four years later Vietnamese cashews were sold inmany big provinces in China ," he said.
"Many moreChinese companies became involved in importing and the volume grew from20,000 tonnes in 2003 to 50,000 tonnes in 2009," he said.
China , the world's most populous market, is a lucrative market forcashew products due to the use of the nut in its cuisine, he added.
Vietnam 's first cashew shipments were transported to the US in 1994.
The volume of cashew exports continued to increase to 52,000 tonnes in2009, with export value of 245 million USD, or 28 percent of theVietnamese industry's total. The US is the largest importer ofVietnamese cashew.
The high quality of the Vietnamesecashew and exporters' adherence to their contracts contributed to thesuccess of the industry, speakers at the ceremony said.
Inaddition to the Certificate of Merit to Vinacas, more than 100 peoplefrom the cashew industry and other ministries and industries receivedmedals from Vinacas honouring them for their assistance and service./.
Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyen Thai Hoc,chairman of Vinacas, said since its establishment Vinacas had developedthe domestic cashew industry in line with the Government'smacro-economic orientation.
"The association and itsmembers have achieved many good results, making significantcontributions to the sustainable development of the domestic cashewindustry," Hoc said.
The association has 300 members andthree branches, including the Long An Cashew Processing-Import andExport Association, the Binh Phuoc Cashew Association and the Binh PhuocFarmers Association. In 2003, Vinacas was granted the Labour Order, 3rdclass, from the State President.
With help from thegovernment as well as industries and localities, the cashew industry inthe last year improved significantly, particularly in production andprocessing, product diversification, market expansion and technologyrenewal.
As a result, the industry has brought an increasing amount of foreign currency revenue for the country, Hoc said.
"Significantly, although the world economy recovered slowly after theglobal economic crisis, the domestic cashew industry, unlike many otherindustries here, kept developing, with a record export value ofestimated 1 billion USD this year, 2.2 times higher than the target setfor the year," he added.
As a result, Vietnam is now theworld's biggest cashew export earner, and the second biggest cashewproducer, after India , which has had a century of producing cashews.
In addition, Vietnam ranks third after India and the Cote d'Ivoire in productivity and output.
Outstanding achievements that Vinacas and the cashew industry haveobtained since 1990 include: expanding the cashew cultivation area to390,000 hectares, up by 2.1 times compared with the figure recorded in2003; increasing the volume of cashew nuts exported this year to 180,000tonnes, up 2.14 times compared with 83,000 tonnes in 2003; andincreasing export value to 1 billion USD, up 3.5 times higher than 284million USD in 2003.
Vinacas and its member companies, incooperation with scientists, have also implemented many researchprojects that have helped create new cashew hybrids that give high yieldand good quality.
In particular, BL1 and CH1 hybrids canyield between three and four tonnes per hectare while old hybrids couldonly generate 600 to 700 kilos per hectare.
Costs per cashew tree have also fallen, from 10,000 VND to between 2,000 VND and 5,000 VND.
Cashew processing techniques have been updated with automaticequipment, resulting in increased labour productivity that is 10 to 20times higher than that from manual work.
"Proper application of green production technology has also been a main goal of the industry," he said.
A representative of China-based Hai Phu Company said the companydiscovered Vietnam 's quality cashew nuts in 1992 and decided to importthem and sell in China .
"Vietnamese companies gave usactive support in building the market. The first shipment to Chinawas in March 1992, and four years later Vietnamese cashews were sold inmany big provinces in China ," he said.
"Many moreChinese companies became involved in importing and the volume grew from20,000 tonnes in 2003 to 50,000 tonnes in 2009," he said.
China , the world's most populous market, is a lucrative market forcashew products due to the use of the nut in its cuisine, he added.
Vietnam 's first cashew shipments were transported to the US in 1994.
The volume of cashew exports continued to increase to 52,000 tonnes in2009, with export value of 245 million USD, or 28 percent of theVietnamese industry's total. The US is the largest importer ofVietnamese cashew.
The high quality of the Vietnamesecashew and exporters' adherence to their contracts contributed to thesuccess of the industry, speakers at the ceremony said.
Inaddition to the Certificate of Merit to Vinacas, more than 100 peoplefrom the cashew industry and other ministries and industries receivedmedals from Vinacas honouring them for their assistance and service./.
