Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)HCMCity (VNA) - A project to develop the Buon Ma Thuot coffee brandis expected to benefit more than 15,000 farmers who live in a poor commune inthe Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.
The three-year project, developed by the Dak Lak People’s Committee and theprovincial Agriculture Extension Centre, aims to help farmers in Ea Tu communeto replant thousands of old, unproductive trees.
Under the project, advanced technologies will be used in pilot productionmodels while small farming households will be consolidated into a centralisedfarming area to improve coffee productivity in six villages and six hamlets in EaTu commune.
According to Huynh Quoc Thich, deputy director of the province’s Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development, coffee trees have been cultivated in Dak Lakprovince for the last 100 years.
Most of the trees are more than 20 years old and produce low yields. Theaverage life span for coffee trees is between 20 and 30 years.
Between 140,000 ha and 160,000 ha of trees need to be replaced in the next fiveto 10 years, a big challenge for the industry.
The industry is also facing other problems, including small-scale production,poor quality control and outdated processing technologies.
Ten years ago, coffee brought a prosperous life to millions of farmers in theprovince, but in recent years the productivity and quality of coffee beans havedeclined.
Coffee trees more than 20 years old account for 23.5 percent of the area, andtrees 15-20 years old nearly 35 percent, according to the Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development.
More than 92 percent of the coffee trees have not adapted well to disease or toclimate change.
In addition, intensive farming and improper use of fertilisers and pesticideshave seriously affected soil quality in the province. Many farmers often watertrees excessively, washing away nutrients needed for the plants.
Under the project, an agreement between Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint-StockCompany and Vinacafé Bien Hoa Joint-Stock Company, a member of the Masan GroupCorp, was signed last month as part of the 6th Coffee Festival held in Buon MaThuot city.
The agreement aims to assist local authorities to create a high-quality,productive coffee-growing area in Ea Tu commune.
The two companies have been cooperating with the CentralHighlands’ Agro-Forestry Scientific and Technical Institute to createlinkages among farmers, scientists, businesses and the state in an aim toimprove the Buon Ma Thuot coffee brand.
Located in the northeast of Buon Ma Thuot city in Dak Lak, Ea Tu commune coversan area of 2,862 ha, of which the coffee plantation area accounts for 1,340 ha.
The commune has 3,617 households with 15,023 people, according to theprovince’s people’s committee.
The commune has 175 poor households. Their major income comes from agriculturalproduction, mostly coffee cultivation.
Over the past 10 years, the country has exported 1.2-1.5 million tonnes ofcoffee annually.
Vietnam ranks second in the world for coffee exports, following Brazil.-VNA
VNA
