Successfully expanding 430ha of organic cashew raw material areas in Ninh Thuan Province - Vietnam
27/11/2020
Honesty is quality
The Covid-19 epidemic has left many changes in the habits and behavior of consumers around the world, as well as created new trends in the selection of clean, retirement foods in general and Organic cashews in particular. According to the report of export volume in the first 6 months of 2019 of Fomexco Joint Stock Company, the organic cashew nut export volume increased from 570 tons to 912 tons over the same period in 2018 (up 160%). This is also a good signal for the organic cashew market, opening up good opportunities for the development of farmers to participate in organic cashew planting projects in Vietnam.
(The planting area manager goes to check periodically)
To have organic cashew production to meet the increasing demand of customers, Fomexco decided to invest in expanding organic cashew growing areas, this is really a big challenge for the company because Because to build and expand the planting area of organic cashew material, it takes at least 3 years for the company to complete it. Another difficulty is that in Binh Phuoc province - Vietnam, which is considered the capital of cashew trees, but not every locality here can choose to develop organic cashew material areas because of farming habits. difficult to change farmers, local culture, soil quality, weather ... That's why Fomexco has turned to the land of Ninh Son, Bac Ai, Thuan Bac districts ... of Ninh Thuan province - Vietnam.
After more than 2 months of surveying on an area of 3805.9 ha in cashew growing districts in Ninh Thuan, Fomexco selected Phuoc Binh commune - Bac Ai district, Ninh Thuan province to build raw material growing areas.
(New Certificate - EU)
The land, when this place is very suitable for cashew transplanting because cashew is tropical plants, perennials, widely adaptable to different heat conditions such as drought, heavy rain or degraded soil, sandy soil. , the soil has a lot of gravel and rocks.
(Organic cashew raw material area at Ninh Thuan Province)
Cashew in Ninh Thuan usually produces lower yields than in Binh Phuoc province, seeds are smaller, but the seeds are more uniform, less deep, and taste sweet than other growing areas in Vietnam. Most of the cashew area here has been planted since 1990, but due to lack of care, the yield is low. Fomexco is now guided the technique of caring for a new process, using organic fertilizers, and cashew trees have a lot of fruit. For the old cashew trees, the old cashew varieties planted with low yield seeds will be removed and replaced with high yield grafted varieties such as PN1, AB05-08 with high yield.
CEO- Nguyen Thanh Lam (left) and farmer
Fomexco CEO - Mr. Nguyen Thanh Lam said: “For a long time, cashew trees here are grown on sloping land, easily washed away and eroded in the rainy season. To overcome that, Fomexco instructed the people to use organic fertilizers to increase the humus concentration in the soil, helping the roots of the plant to stick more tightly to the soil to absorb more nutrients during growth, helping for the cashew products in this growing area meet international standards. ”
In addition, Fomexco builds a cooperative model owned by farmers, which will contribute to supporting people to change their production methods, by methods that comply with the standards of organic agriculture. Fomexco also supported farmers to actively build nurseries, transfer seeds, organic fertilizers and auxiliary works with organic cashew techniques to multiply the area. Fomexco's planting area staff regularly checks and controls plant varieties, does not use any pesticides, plant protection chemicals, chemical fertilizers or any antibiotics, and hormone boosters. growth during crop care and harvest. In addition, the process of gathering, storing, purchasing and packaging also needs weeks according to the specific regulations for organic products.
After nearly 3 years of implementation, to November 2020, Control Union - Singapore international organization has certified organic products according to US and European standards. Fomexco has linked and instructed the people to grow cashew according to the organic production process, signed product purchase contracts with 521 households in Phuoc Binh commune, Bac Ai district with an area of 430 hectares, supplying organic cashew raw materials annually from 900 - 1075 tons (equivalent to 310 tons of export organic cashew nuts).
(Apply digital map in managing maps of organic cashew raw material areas)
Mr. Chamaléa Nghe, Phuoc Binh commune, Bac Ai district said: “The family has planted 3 hectares of cashew trees in mountainous and barren hills for six years. After nearly three years, harvesting the first batch of low yield, now instructed by Fomexco to apply organic care techniques, so in the 2019 crop, the harvest yield is three times higher than before and is Fomexco. consumption of products, purchasing at higher prices than before, from which family life has been improved ”.
(Fomexco's plantation area manager works with the local government)
Currently, Fomexco continues to promote the expansion of other organic cashew growing areas, along with the agricultural sector and local authorities are actively propagating and mobilizing farmers to plant new varieties of high yield and quality. instead of planting with seeds and applying organic care techniques. At the same time, promoting the link between producers and businesses that buy and sell products at stable prices so that people will not be forced by traders as before, feel secure in production and get rich in regions. bare land, bare hills.
Source: Fomexco JSC