Bu Gia Map farmers hope for bountiful cashew crop

Busy preparing for the bountiful crop 

These days, Thoi Van Ba's household in hamlet 1, Binh Thang commune, Bu Gia Map district, is urgently clearing dead leaves in the family's 7-hectare cashew farm. Ba said that, after the Lunar New Year, cashew trees bloomed, bore fruit, and now have a second bloom with more flowers. Farmers are now busy cleaning dead leaves to wait for the harvest.
 

Cashew farmers are busy clearing fallen leaves in cashew farms and preparing for the harvest
 

At the nearly 3-hectare cashew farm of Nguyen Ngoc Anh (also in village 1), and other cashew farming households in Binh Thang commune, farmers also clean fallen leaves and take care of the trees. Anh prevented and treated harmful pests on their plants by actively participating in seminars and training sessions organized by the district and commune. By understanding each type of pest and disease, Anh could proactively detect and respond to abnormal signs on the farm. “Up to now, the cashew tree has blossomed 100% and started to bear seeds. However, this year weather is so erratic that farmers can not sure of the yield of this crop. Currently, cashew bloom is slightly better than the previous year. "- Anh added.

Toward clean, organic production

Currently, Binh Thang commune has more than 2,900 hectares of cashew. Unseasonal rains for many days have appeared continuously, and not only Binh Thang farmers but also farmers in the "cashew capital" Binh Phuoc are worried.

Tu Minh Thao, the Vice Chairman of the Binh Thang Commune People's Committee, suggested that farmers should use scientific and technical methods to increase the quantity and quality of cashew nuts produced in the commune. Thao concluded after monitoring weather patterns and observing cashew-growing households. At the same time, regularly take care of the cashew garden when it blooms and bears fruit to detect diseases or pests; suggest to the locality measuring to propose to superiors help farmers applying timely solutions to improve cashew production”.

In addition to recommendations from authorities at all levels, the cashew purchasing units also discussed with farmers about actively applying advanced techniques in farming to diversify cashew products and proactively control quality, ensuring food safety and hygiene to improve the competitiveness of cashew products.
 

Vice Chairman of Bu Gia Map District People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Hoan regularly inspects cashew farms and encourages farmers to cultivate cashews in this year's crop

Recently, Binh Thang commune has established an agricultural cooperative to connect farmers in organic production and improve the quality of products. In particular, the cooperative has focused on organic cashew production for export. Ho Ngoc Anh, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of the Binh Thang Commune Agricultural Service Cooperative, has stated that the cooperative is working with companies that purchase and produce cashew nuts for export within and outside of the province of Binh Phuoc. Members of the cooperative who make "organic cashew" products will have their products purchased directly at the farms, with prices ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 VND per kg higher than cashew nuts that were not produced using organic farming techniques. Therefore, the cooperative recommends members and farmers in the commune gradually switch to cultivating clean and organic agricultural products for more sustainable production.

There are over 150,000 hectares of cashew in Binh Phuoc province. Cashew is the main crop in Bu Gia Map, Phu Rieng, Bu Dop, and Bu Dang districts. This tree's profit has helped farmers sustain their livelihoods and reinvest in their farms. This plant is also a crop with a developed processing industry and one of the top export products of Vietnam. However, in recent years, cashew farmers have often experienced a decrease in income because of both crop failure and devaluation.

In the "golden" period from 2010 to 2011, cashew nuts priced at VND 40,000 to 50,000 per kg and exported cashew nuts in the "cashew capital" of Binh Phuoc get assessed as having the highest quality. However, recent commercial fraud has involved imported and local cashew nuts getting false labels originating from Binh Phuoc. This phenomenon has harmed the reputation and prices of cashews grown in the province.

Hoping that the authorities will take drastic action to prevent commercial fraud and maintain the high price of raw cashews helping farmers in the "cashew capital" of Binh Phuoc stabilize their income and keep farming cashew sustainably.