Sustainable development of cassava industry to 2030, vision to 2050

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung (sitting in the middle), Mr. Nguyen Quy Duong - Deputy Director of Plant Protection Department (left), Mr. Nguyen Dinh Xuan - Director of Tay Ninh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (right) co-chaired the discussion at the conference.

Attending the conference were Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung; Mr. Tran Van Chien - Vice Chairman of Tay Ninh Provincial People's Committee; representatives of leaders of 24 provinces with large cassava growing areas nationwide and a number of cassava growing and processing enterprises in and outside the province.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Tran Van Chien said that Tay Ninh's total annual cassava production area is about 61,000 hectares (the second largest growing area in the country, after Gia Lai province), accounting for 23% of the province's total agricultural land area.

Output is over 2 million tons/year; average yield is 33.2 tons/ha, the highest in the country. As of June 2024, the cassava area in the province is about 45,975 hectares, equal to 74.6% of the plan. The purchase price of cassava tubers from the beginning of 2024 to present in the province fluctuates from 3,500 - 3,800 VND/kg, cassava production revenue is over 120 million VND/ha.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Tran Van Chien delivered the opening speech at the conference.

Currently, the area of ​​cassava infected with mosaic disease in the province has decreased sharply (down 7,453 hectares compared to 2019) and the level of damage has gradually decreased in the following years, mainly at a mild level and no areas of severe infection have occurred.

Reporting at the conference, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong - Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) said that cassava is one of the crops in the list of national key agricultural products, from being a food crop, a poverty reduction crop, it has become a crop that enriches, a raw material crop serving the processing industry and biofuel.

The country currently has over 40 provinces growing cassava, with a total area ranging from 520,000-550,000 hectares/year, an average yield of 19-20 tons/ha, and an annual output of over 10 million tons of fresh tubers.

However, the current situation of cassava production and processing development is still unsustainable, the connection between cassava farmers and processing factories is still weak; cassava mosaic disease is spreading widely; deforestation for cassava cultivation; environmental pollution in cassava starch processing... are difficult problems that need to be fundamentally resolved.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung attended the conference.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Nghiem Minh Tien - Chairman of the Vietnam Cassava Association proposed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development direct the Institute of Agricultural Genetics and the National Agricultural Extension Center to coordinate with the Association to transfer cassava varieties resistant to mosaic disease to gradually replace new varieties with high productivity and quality to completely control mosaic disease; create favorable conditions to support technological solutions and markets for deeply processed products, enhance the value chain from cassava products; consider adjusting the value added tax rate for cassava starch to 5%...

Concluding the conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung requested the Department of Crop Production; Department of Plant Protection; Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development; National Agricultural Extension Center; Department of Science, Technology and Environment (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) based on the functions and tasks of each unit to proactively review, advise the Ministry to issue and guide localities to issue policies to encourage the development and cultivation processes of disease-free cassava varieties resistant to cassava mosaic disease;

Mr. Nghiem Minh Tien - Chairman of Vietnam Cassava Association proposed some issues to develop sustainable cassava industry in the coming time.

Effectively carry out the work of forecasting and preventing pests on cassava, especially cassava mosaic disease; develop and promote the implementation of scientific programs and tasks on cassava preservation and processing technology and cassava products to increase the value of cassava; complete documents and organize training and dissemination of cassava breeding and cultivation processes to local people and technical staff, and at the same time build and replicate sustainable cassava production models, ensuring productivity and quality.

Conference scene.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung suggested that provinces growing cassava integrate cassava indicators into local economic development targets and targets; have appropriate investment and incentive policies to develop the cassava industry, especially investment in cassava raw material areas; support the implementation of production linkages between cassava growers and cassava production and processing factories on the basis of ensuring the interests of all parties, aiming for professional and sustainable production.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung surveyed the situation of noodle production in the province.

Regarding the Vietnam Cassava Association, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung suggested that the Association strengthen propaganda for members, people and related organizations and individuals about related regulations, technical solutions as well as the role of the cassava industry in Vietnam and the international market; proactively coordinate with state management agencies, institutes and universities to build sustainable cassava production models based on the viewpoint of increasing productivity along with environmental protection, and disease-free cassava seed production models.

Minh Duong

Source: https://baotayninh.vn/phat-trien-ben-vung-nganh-hang-khoai-mi-den-nam-2030-tam-nhin-den-nam-2050-a174688.html