Credit capital helps coconut farmers increase productivity

The credit program for the coconut industry is helping many coconut farmers in the Mekong Delta increase productivity and coconut prices.

In recent years, coconut trees have gone beyond poverty alleviation to become a national staple. According to the Vietnam Coconut Association, by 2024, the total export value of coconut products will exceed 1 billion USD.

Mr. Cao Ba Dang Khoa, General Secretary of the Vietnam Coconut Association, said that to be worthy of the new position of coconut trees in the current economic and agricultural map of Vietnam, and at the same time to improve the competitiveness of coconuts and coconut products in the world market, it is necessary to standardize the cultivation stage of farmers. Farmers must be trained, improve their knowledge of coconut tree care, and transparently and detailedly record the coconut cultivation stages through agricultural diary recording.

Farmers take care of coconut trees in Vinh Long province. Photo: Minh Sang .

In order to support farmers in standardizing coconut cultivation, improving the quality of Vietnamese coconuts, helping to stabilize coconut prices, thereby creating a foundation to attract investment interest in the coconut industry from traders, processors..., in recent times, the Vietnam Coconut Association has proactively built a credit support program for coconut farmers.

To implement this program, the Vietnam Coconut Association has coordinated with the agricultural sector and Agribank to pilot the program in three localities with large coconut areas in the Mekong Delta: Dong Thap, Vinh Long and Can Tho city.

The goal of phase 1 support, to be implemented in 2025, is for 2,700 coconut growing households in the three above-mentioned localities to access credit packages to invest in production according to standards to improve the quality of coconuts in the Mekong Delta.

Agribank Ben Tre Branch is the unit that is promoting the implementation of the pilot credit policy program for the coconut industry. Ms. Nguyen Thi My Hoa, Deputy Director of Agribank Ben Tre Branch, said that the Branch has provided credit products to individuals, households and businesses investing in the field of coconut production such as planting and caring for coconut gardens, renovating coconut gardens, purchasing, processing and exporting coconut products.

Credit capital has helped many farmers invest in and take better care of their coconut trees. Photo: Minh Sang .

Regarding general credit activities, up to now, Agribank Ben Tre Branch has provided over VND 1,400 billion in credit to over 7,200 customers. In addition, Agribank Ben Tre Branch has successfully implemented a credit package linking loans through value chains. Currently, Agribank Ben Tre Branch has provided loans to 8 value chains.

In the coconut industry, specifically through the credit program for the coconut industry, Agribank Ben Tre Branch has created conditions for coconut farmers to have capital to expand investment and care for coconut gardens.

Credit capital also supports coconut growers in applying science and technology to limit diseases on coconut trees. At the same time, with this capital, coconut farmers have been proactive in participating in implementing linkages along the coconut industry value chain. These are linkage chains that Agribank Ben Tre Branch has coordinated and linked with coconut industry enterprises in the area to implement loans through the value chain.

Thanks to participating in the value chain, the selling price of coconuts of people in the old Ben Tre has become more stable because they avoid the situation of being forced down by traders. In general, in the credit investment program for the coconut industry, capital from Agribank has helped coconut farmers to gradually increase the productivity of coconut trees by 20-30%, the selling price of coconuts has also increased significantly and is more stable than before.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/von-tin-dung-giup-nong-dan-trong-dua-nang-cao-nang-suat-d781809.html