Coconut prices improve

Coconut prices improve

Farmers are finally getting a decent price for their coconuts after joining a large-scale orchard model set up in August in a commune in Ben Tre Province's Giong Trom District.

The first of its kind in the province, the model was set up by the coconut processor, Ben Tre Import-Export Joint Stock Company (Betrimex).

Under the model, coconuts are bought directly from farmers, eliminating middlemen traders. The Hiep Thanh Fertiliser Company offers advanced farming techniques as well to participants. All of the commune's 1,755 coconut farming households, covering a total area of 1,195ha, are taking part in the model.

The Giong Trom People's Committee offered funding support for the project after farmers complained about the drastic drop in prices (VND1,000 per fruit) beginning in October of last year.

Nguyen Minh Hoang, chairman of the Chau Binh Farmers Association, said that teams of 50 farmers each process the dry coconuts by peeling the fruit and scraping the meat out of the shell.

Previously, farmers only sold the coconuts, but with the extra work, they now make more money.

For the last few harvests, farmer Nguyen Van Tuong of Chau Binh Commune sold his dry coconuts for VND42,000 per dozen compared to the previous price of VND12,000.

Tuong told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that previously local traders had offered lower prices to several farmers because they had to travel too far to buy the produce.

Nguyen Thu Cuc, who works as part of a farmer-team, now earns an average of VND200,000 every day from peeling the outer layer of 1,000 dry coconuts.

"Thanks to this job, my family has additional income," she said.

Betrimex needs about 420,000 dry coconuts a day for production, according to Tran Van Duc, general director of Betrimex.

Ho Vinh Sang, chairman of the Ben Tre Coconut Association, said that with the success of the large-scale coconut orchard in Chau Binh, his association and local authorities had set up two similar models in Mo Cay Nam District's Minh Duc Commune and Mo Cay Bac District's Thanh Tan Commune.

Sang said he hoped that Ben Tre's other large coconut cultivation areas like Chau Binh would establish similar models next year.

The model in Chau Binh has resulted in a more stable supply of coconuts as well as more reasonable prices for farmers.

vietnamnews