Sustainable cocoa project launched in Binh Phuoc
(VOV) - A ceremony was held in the southern province of Binh Phuoc on April 10 to launch a new cooperative project of the Cocoa Development Centre (CDC) aimed at strengthening sustainable development.
This is a cooperative project to strengthen long-term economic development of cacao among the Vietnamese, the Netherlands governments, and organizations such as Robobank, Mars Group, Gargill Group, IDH, and Oxfam.
The project has been successfully implemented since 2012 in Dak Lak and other provinces.
Addressing the ceremony, Masterfoods' Cocoa Sustainable Development Institute Director, Peter Van Grinsen, expressed his conviction that the CDC/CVC (Cocoa Development Centre - Cocoa Village Centre) model which will bring practical efficiency to the cocoa sector in Binh Phuoc province when fully operational.
“It will also help farmers get access to techniques and input materials at competitive prices,” he said.
Phan Van Don, deputy director of the province’s department of agriculture and rural development added that this is the right direction for the province to take, which will bring many benefits to cacao growers.
“In the future, the department will co-ordinate with the centre to provide training in advanced cultivation techniques so that farmers can grow cacao in the most effective manner”, he concluded.
The CDC/CVC model involves transferring techniques which have been applied in many nations in the world, aiming to encourage farmers to grow cacao in a professional and sustainable manner.