Coconut industry is playing a very important role in the socio-economic development of Vietnam and should be considered an indispensable part of the country’s development strategies. However, there remain shortcomings in the industry, according to Nguyen Quang Dung, Director of the Institute of Agricultural Planning and Projection (NIAPP).

They include a loose linkage in the value chain and low processing capacity, he went on.

Dung pointed out that an imbalance in the supply of material for processing and capital shortage for upgrading technolgy is the biggest limitation. Thus, it is necessary to devise a project on turning coconuts into Vietnam’s main industrial crops by 2030.

Vietnam has more than 188,000 hectares under coconut, accounting for 1.67% of that of the world, according to the Institute of Agricultural Planning and Economics.

Coconut trees are a source of income for about 389,530 farmer households and export value of coconut and coconut products has reached over 900 million USD. Vietnam is in the fourth place in the world in terms of cococut value.

Currently, there are about 854 enterprises that specialise in producing and processing coconut products, along with over 90 companies exporting coconut products. They create jobs for more than 15,000 employees.

Huynh Quang Duc, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ben Tre province, which has the largest coconut area in the country, said that coconut trees play an important role in the socio-economic life of the province. More than 70% of its population relies on coconut growing for their livelihood and the province has more than 163,000 households engaged in coconut farming.

The production value of coconut products accounts for 20.69% of the province’s total industrial production value; making up 42.51% of its total export turnover and creating jobs for tens of thousands of workers.

Ben Tre now has 78,000ha under coconut cultivation.  Its coconut products have present in nearly 100 countries and territories and access choosy markets such as Europe, US and the Midde East.

In recent years, the province has issued many resolutions and plans to create favourable conditions for the coconut industry to develop in a stable, sustainable and effective manner.

Particularly, the 11th tenure of the provincial Party Committee has issued Resolution No. 07 on building concentrated production areas associated with developing the value chain of key product groups, thereby enhancing the development of the coconut industry as well as the position and image of Ben Tre coconut trees at home and abroad.

VNA