16th ASEAN cocoa producers meeting opens in HCM City
(VOV) - The 16th meeting of the National Focal Points for ASEAN Cocoa Club (ACC) on the Joint Scheme for ASEAN Cooperation in Agricultural and Forest Products Promotion is taking place in HCM City on May 22-23.
During the conference, delegates from ASEAN nations will discuss ways to implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for growing cocoa trees, as well as ensuring food safety and controlling cocoa tree diseases.
Reports will also be delivered on the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) Scheme, non-tariff barriers and the results of a pilot project on growing cocoa in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Nguyen Van Hoa, Deputy Head of the Cultivation Department under the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that cocoa is a new crop in Vietnam that has only been grown in the country since 2000.
So far, around 25,000 hectares of cocoa have been planted in the Central Highlands, southeastern region, and some Mekong River Delta provinces.
Vietnam aims to increase its area cultivated in cocoa tress to 35,000 hectares by 2015 and 50,000 ha by 2020, with the goal of producing 26,000 tonnes of cocoa.