Vietnam’s cashew sector will apply a number of specific measures to fulfil its 2.5 billion USD revenue target by 2020.
In a proposal on the sustainable development of the sector, the Cultivation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) forecast that the country will have a total cashew area of 300,000-320,000 hectares with an output of 400,000 tonnes per year, meeting 40 percent of its material demand for processing.
To meet the goal, the proposal outlines some major solutions to improve cashew production and processing.
It said it is necessary to have proper farm planning, expanding cashew cultivation in areas with favourable conditions and applying new farming technologies.
It is crucial to build large processing factories using high technology to ensure food safety, while encouraging producers to foster links to build a trademark for Vietnamese cashew, the proposal said.
During a meeting between the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas) and the Cultivation Department in Ho Chi Minh City on December 18 to collect opinions on the proposal, Nguyen Thi Kim Nga, Chairman of the Cashew Association of Binh Phuoc province, said besides extending farming areas, it is necessary to improve connectivity between farmers and businesses.
She suggested that Vinacas and the MARD assist Binh Phuoc in implementing a pilot model in the field and extend it to other localities.
Apart from researching new cashew varieties, more support policies should also be offered to farmers and cashew processors in building material areas for the sector, she said.
According to Vinacas, the Government should design policies to encourage businesses to invest more in cashew processing and produce other auxiliary products, diversifying the domestic market and supporting enterprises in trademark building.
VNA
