On June 4, the Center for Community Development (CDC) in collaboration with the Global Coffee Forum (GCP) organized a workshop to summarize the program "Promoting the application of environmentally friendly weed management solutions in coffee cultivation systems in Dak Nong province".
The program is implemented with the aim of supporting farmers to change their grass management methods towards natural methods, reduce dependence on chemical herbicides, and at the same time contribute to improving livelihoods and protecting the coffee growing environment.
The program results have contributed to raising awareness, gradually changing behavior in coffee production towards safety, environmental friendliness and compliance with international standards.
After nearly 2 years of implementation, the program has organized 25 training courses for 1,000 farmers, distributed 16 lawn mowers to support disadvantaged households, and widely communicated technical documents in the community.
The rate of farmers using lawn mowers and hand hoes reached 85.3%, only 14.7% used herbicides on the permitted list, and no households used pesticides containing the active ingredient Glyphosate - a globally controversial active ingredient.
Notably, 58.68% of farmers maintained mulch (weeding and leaving the roots), an increase of more than 33% compared to the pre-program period. The rate of maintaining mulch in the dry season was up to 88.33%.
Regarding the use of plant protection chemicals (PPE), due to the impact of pests and high coffee prices, the usage rate has not decreased but is mainly controlled at once a year, at the beginning of the dry season and the beginning of the rainy season. 98% of farmers used protective gear when spraying pesticides.
However, the problem of waste disposal from pesticide packaging still exists when 56.04% of farmers leave the packaging in the garden, or dispose of it by burning, requiring more sustainable solutions.
Farmers in Quang Son commune, Dak Glong district (Dak Nong) participate in a project to exchange experiences in coffee care.
The program has contributed to raising awareness and gradually changing behavior in coffee production towards safety, environmental friendliness and compliance with international standards, especially the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) which will come into effect in the near future.
At the workshop, many experts and people shared their opinions about the process of participating in the project, and discussed the direction of expanding the model to other key coffee growing areas in the province.
This is an important premise for Dak Nong coffee industry to develop more sustainably, improve competitiveness and expand export markets in the future.
Mr. Ho Gam, Chairman of Dak Nong Farmers' Association, shares about sustainable coffee development
The program “Promoting the application of environmentally friendly weed management solutions in coffee cultivation systems in Dak Nong province” is part of the initiative “Responsible use of agricultural inputs in coffee production in Vietnam” sponsored by GCP.
Source: https://baodaknong.vn/1-000-nong-dan-dak-nong-quan-ly-co-dai-trong-san-xuat-ca-phe-254578.html
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