GLOBAL COFFEEPLATFORM

A major rejuvenation project (VnSAT) in Vietnam aims to replant 90,000 hectares and transplant 30,000 hectares of coffee farms in the Central Highlands with new hybrids between 2014 and 2020. The project concentrates on five provinces:

• Lam Dong: 45.600 ha (replanting 22.600 ha, renovation hybrid 23.000 ha)
• Dak Lak: 29.600 ha (replanting 27.600 ha, renovation hybrid 2.000 ha)
• Dak Nong: 24.500 ha (replanting 22.000 ha, renovation hybrid 2.500 ha)
• Gia Lai: 17.800 ha (replanting 15.300 ha, renovation hybrid 2.500 ha)
• Kon Tum: replanting 2.500 ha

Challenges

The project is so large that there are many challenges, the largest being technology, capital and production management. Replantation is expensive: it is often difficult for farmers to get access to capital, farmers lose income while waiting for new plants to flower and newly planted coffee trees often die.

However, this did not deter the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). They have worked with World Bank to set up the project, and co-operated with the National Bank of Vietnam and research institutes to issue loan policies, offer technological support and secure new varieties for coffee replantation.

Some of the coffee varieties considered for the replanting. © Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam

Results

So far results are promising. For example, the Vietnam National Corporation, which has been a pioneer in rejuvenation has already replanted and transplanted almost half of the 10,000ha which needed rejuvenation. The quality of the plots is good, giving yields of 2 tons per hectare after 2-3 years, with a yield of 4-4.5 tons per hectare when the plots are fully established.

Lam Dong province, 2010-2016:

• Replanted or hybrid 43,6 thousand ha.
• Approved parent plots can produce 12,3 million buds for hybrid per year

Daklak province, 2011-2016:

• Replanted 19.125 ha; of which 30% used hybrid nursery trees and 70% used variety TRS1
• A new 10ha seed plot hase been set up to produce seed variety TRS1
• There are 4 plots which produce hybrid buds (4 million buds per year)

Dak Nong province, 2013-2016:

• Replanted or hybrid 8,4 thousand ha, with 80% of replantation successful after 4 years
• Replantation area without rotation cultivation: 10%, 1 year rotation: 30%, 2 rotation 60%

Gia Lai Province, 2013-2016:

• Replanted or hybrid 5,7 thousand ha
• 1 ha hybrid bud plot produces 500,000 buds per year
• Nursery plot produces 3 million nursery trees per year

40,000ha remain to be replanted by 2020, which is a realistic target given that the average replantation since 2014 has been over 10,000ha per year.

Lessons

The success of the project has relied upon close cooperation and a shared vision at the commune, district and province levels. This included conducting technical trainings (and trainer trainings to cascade knowledge), improving credit access and working to make sure that new coffee varieties were suitable and high quality.

Furthermore, some areas where coffee is currently grown are unsuitable for coffee cultivation (due to poor irrigation, thin soil or sloping terrain). These areas are encouraged to switch to other crops, because in the long-term it is unviable to grow coffee on this land.

This article is based on a presentation by Mr Duc-Tái from the Crop and Production Department of the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.