Cocoa prices hit a historic peak, growers in Dak Lak won big

Wearing prices, growers hit big

Recently, cocoa prices have continuously increased sharply, reaching at one point the mark of 260,000 VND/kg - the highest level in many years, breathing new life into agricultural production in Dak Lak province.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dung (Thanh Cong village, Ea Na commune, Krong Ana district, Dak Lak) could not hide his joy when sharing about his family's 1.8ha cocoa garden.

Thanks to favorable weather, the garden has few pests and diseases, and is productive from root to tops. With an average yield of 2.5 tons of nuts/ha and the current price of VND240,000/kg, Mr. Dung's family expects to have a significant income.

Mr. Dung also did not forget to share his experience: "The most frightening plant is the worm, which grows during the rainy season. It is necessary to visit the garden regularly for early detection and timely prevention measures".

Mr. Duong Quang Khang (Tan Tien village, Ea Na commune) is also one of the farming households that have long been attached to cao ca trees.

He said that cocoa has the ability to withstand drought well, adapt to dry soil and does not require much care compared to other long-term crops.

Recognizing this advantage, in 2004, Mr. Khang's family boldly invested in planting 9 sao of cocoa. However, in previous years, cocoa prices were unstable, sometimes only 38,000 - 40,000 VND/kg, and there were even no buyers.

In addition, pests and diseases are rampant during the rainy season, causing productivity to decrease sharply, Mr. Khang's family had to destroy 3 sao of cocoa to switch to growing short-term crops.

From 2022, cocoa prices have continuously fluctuated in a positive direction, from VND 90,000/kg to VND 240,000 - VND 260,000/kg.

This not only increases income but also motivates cocoa growers to reinvest, increase productivity and stabilize their lives.

Increase value, stabilize output

Mr. Nguyen Van Sy, Director of Tan Thanh Cocoa Agricultural Cooperative (Ea Na commune) said that the cooperative currently has 15 members with a total cultivated area of 36 hectares.

According to Mr. Sy, in the past two years, cocoa prices have increased sharply and steadily at about 235,000 VND/kg of dried nuts. Thanks to that, people actively invest in and take care of cocoa gardens to improve productivity.

With an average output of 1.5 - 1.8 tons/ha/year, after deducting expenses, people earn a profit of 400 - 450 million VND/ha/year.

"Many households that are members of the cooperative have improved their lives and purchased more equipment for family activities," Mr. Sy shared.

To enhance product value, the cooperative proactively pre-processed, fermented and dried cocoa beans before selling. At the same time, the cooperative also built close links with enterprises to ensure stable output for products.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Son, Vice Chairman of Ea Na Commune People's Committee, said that the commune previously had 300 - 400 hectares of coffee. However, due to unstable prices, people have switched to other crops.

Currently, the whole commune only has about 60 hectares of coffee. "The skyrocketing price of cocoa is a positive sign. However, there is not much land left, so people mainly reinvest in and renovate existing cocoa gardens to increase productivity and income," Mr. Son added.