Before the news that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) of Vietnam and the Directorate of Customs of China signed a protocol on exporting fresh coconuts from Vietnam to the Chinese market, coconut growers in Ben Tre were very excited and started to take care of and improve the quality of coconuts to export this fruit.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dung (residing in Ben Tre City, Ben Tre Province) said that he has about 2.5 hectares of coconut growing area. The land in Ben Tre is very suitable for growing this type of tree, so it is very popular among the people.
According to Mr. Dung, the official export of fresh coconuts from Vietnam to China will open up potential and advantages to help Ben Tre farmers increase their income from coconut growing.
“In the coming time, I will apply techniques to cultivation and connect with farmers. Thereby, improving the quality of coconuts to ensure the criteria and standards for export to China,” said Mr. Dung.
Mr. Huynh Quang Duc - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ben Tre province - said that Ben Tre has an area of about 16,000 hectares of coconut trees for drinking water. People cultivate coconut trees in a safe, environmentally and community-friendly way, which is also very suitable for export conditions.
According to Mr. Duc, the locality has now established and built coconut chains, managed according to the chain system. Therefore, isolating production areas, managing pests, controlling food hygiene and safety, etc. are also very secure for exporting fresh coconuts.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ben Tre province assessed that the locality has many potentials and advantages in coconut quality for export to the Chinese market. In addition, transportation and trade are also convenient, and transportation costs are also lower than other countries. Through the Protocol that Vietnam has signed with China, Vietnam's fresh coconut exports will penetrate deeply into this large market through official distribution channels, ensuring both stable output distribution and stable prices.
Mr. Huynh Quang Duc said that, up to now, Ben Tre province has had 130 coconut growing area codes, with an area of about 8,000 hectares. To ensure good implementation of the official coconut export to China, Ben Tre has made preparations from the beginning.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has worked with businesses and farmers to build production areas that meet export criteria. In addition, propaganda and information sharing activities have been promoted to help the community grasp and contribute to exporting coconuts to the Chinese market.
In addition, Ben Tre has widely implemented activities of transferring technology, guiding solutions and regulations to ensure criteria and standards according to the Protocol. At the same time, the Department will continue to strengthen the supervision and inspection of the implementation of regulations according to the Protocol, as well as guide the continued expansion of growing areas and packaging houses to ensure official coconut exports to China.
According to the report of Ben Tre Provincial People's Committee, up to now, Ben Tre province has more than 80,000 hectares of coconut growing area. The harvest output in September 2024 was about 65.3 million fruits, the cumulative estimated output reached 545.08 million fruits, an increase of 4.02% over the same period, reaching 76.65% of the plan.
