A coffee farm in the Central Highlands (Photo: VNA)Dak Lak (VNA) – The Central Highlandshas become a major agricultural production hub of Vietnam, producing many high-demandproducts and bringing home multi-billion-USD export revenue.
The region, consisting of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, DakLak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong provinces, has a natural area of 54,637 sq.km(5,463,700 hectares). About 74.25 percent of the basalt soil area in Vietnam isin this region.
Annual crops cover 850,100ha of the region’s 2million ha of farm land, and the remaining 1.15 million ha are perennialplants, according to the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands region.
With favourable natural conditions, theprovinces have developed large-scale production areas specialising in coffee,pepper, rubber, cashew, tea, maize and cassava.
The Central Highlands is home to more than576,800ha of coffee trees (or nearly 90 percent of Vietnam’s total coffeearea). Dak Lak has the largest area (over 204,000ha), followed by Lam Dong, DakNong and Gia Lai.
Despite prolonged drought in the 2016-2017 crop,the region harvested 2.5 tonnes of coffee beans per hectare on average, threetimes higher than the world’s robusta coffee productivity. Its total output wasover 1.3 million tonnes of coffee beans, 93.3 percent of national coffeeproduction.
The five provinces have applied high technologyin coffee production, developed geographical indicators for coffee and promotedconnections between farmers and businesses.
Centralised rubber planting areas have also beendeveloped in the Central Highlands. At least 192,207 tonnes of latex areextracted every year, 18 percent of Vietnam’s rubber latex output.
Over 71,000ha of pepper trees and 74,000ha ofcashew trees are grown in the region, generating more than 120,877 tonnes ofpeppercorns and 67,276 tonnes of cashew nuts yearly.
The Central Highlands also posts annual teaoutput of over 228,000 tonnes, accounting for 24 percent of Vietnam’s teaproduction. It has also grown 235,226ha of hybrid maize, producing at least 1.3million tonnes of corn each year or 25 percent of the country’s corn output.
Agriculture has contributed to localsocio-economic development, political security and social order and safety andimproving ethnic minorities’ living standards.
The Steering Committee for the Central Highlandssaid more and more successful agricultural production models have been developedin the region, generating from 500 million VND to billions of VND per hectarein income for farmers.
However, local agricultural advantages haven’tbeen fully tapped, Chairman of the committee To Lam said recently.
He pointed to low labour productivity,unprocessed products with low added value and competitiveness and the lack ofscience-technology in production, preservation and processing.
To Lam, also Minister of Public Security, askedthe steering committee, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, theMinistry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Science and Technology,banks and the regional provinces to issue support programmes and favourablepolicies for hi-tech agriculture.
Businesses must play a central role in helpingthe region’s key agricultural products engage in the domestic and global valuechains, he added.
He called for amendments to policies on land,investment and credit for agricultural development. Both domestic and foreigneconomic elements need to be encouraged to step up the processing of mainproducts.
He also highlighted the need to strengthen humanresources training for sustainable agricultural development.-VNA
The Central Highlands is home to more than576,800ha of coffee trees (or nearly 90 percent of Vietnam’s total coffeearea). Dak Lak has the largest area (over 204,000ha), followed by Lam Dong, DakNong and Gia Lai.
Despite prolonged drought in the 2016-2017 crop,the region harvested 2.5 tonnes of coffee beans per hectare on average, threetimes higher than the world’s robusta coffee productivity. Its total output wasover 1.3 million tonnes of coffee beans, 93.3 percent of national coffeeproduction.
The five provinces have applied high technologyin coffee production, developed geographical indicators for coffee and promotedconnections between farmers and businesses.
Centralised rubber planting areas have also beendeveloped in the Central Highlands. At least 192,207 tonnes of latex areextracted every year, 18 percent of Vietnam’s rubber latex output.
Over 71,000ha of pepper trees and 74,000ha ofcashew trees are grown in the region, generating more than 120,877 tonnes ofpeppercorns and 67,276 tonnes of cashew nuts yearly.
The Central Highlands also posts annual teaoutput of over 228,000 tonnes, accounting for 24 percent of Vietnam’s teaproduction. It has also grown 235,226ha of hybrid maize, producing at least 1.3million tonnes of corn each year or 25 percent of the country’s corn output.
Agriculture has contributed to localsocio-economic development, political security and social order and safety andimproving ethnic minorities’ living standards.
The Steering Committee for the Central Highlandssaid more and more successful agricultural production models have been developedin the region, generating from 500 million VND to billions of VND per hectarein income for farmers.
However, local agricultural advantages haven’tbeen fully tapped, Chairman of the committee To Lam said recently.
He pointed to low labour productivity,unprocessed products with low added value and competitiveness and the lack ofscience-technology in production, preservation and processing.
To Lam, also Minister of Public Security, askedthe steering committee, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, theMinistry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Science and Technology,banks and the regional provinces to issue support programmes and favourablepolicies for hi-tech agriculture.
Businesses must play a central role in helpingthe region’s key agricultural products engage in the domestic and global valuechains, he added.
He called for amendments to policies on land,investment and credit for agricultural development. Both domestic and foreigneconomic elements need to be encouraged to step up the processing of mainproducts.
He also highlighted the need to strengthen humanresources training for sustainable agricultural development.-VNA
VNA
