Fresh coconut packaging for export at Mekong Fruit Co., Ltd., located in Huu Dinh commune, Chau Thanh district, Ben Tre province. (Photo: VNA)

Ben Tre owns the largest coconut area in Vietnam, with over 79,000 hectares and a total output of more than 700 million fruits. It earns over 400 million USD from shipping coconuts abroad each year.

Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Doan Van Danh stated that the province currently has 133 growing areas that basically meet production conditions according to current regulations; and has registered for growing area codes on nearly 8,400 hectares, with over 12,800 participating households. These figures pertain to the raw material areas that comply with the requirements outlined in the protocol.

Specifically, in the coconut sector, there are currently 32 cooperatives and 34 cooperative groups involved in the coconut value chain, covering 10,094 hectares with 7,048 members. The area of coconuts produced under organic standards reaches 20,400 hectares, accounting for about 25% of the total area in the province. Of this, 13,000 hectares have been certified in accordance with standards of the US, Japan, the European Union, China, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan (China).

Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Tran Ngoc Tam said that the province is creating favourable conditions and mechanisms to attract investment, and enhancing the application of science and technology in production and processing in line with demands of domestic consumption and export.

Specifically, the province has implemented policies to maximise the value of coconut cultivation. This includes a plan to establish concentrated areas linked to value chain development for the 2021-2025 period, with a vision for 2030; Resolution No. 07-NQ/TU dated January 29, 2021 from the provincial Party Committee involving building concentrated production areas and developing the value chain for key agricultural products in Ben Tre to 2030, and a plan to develop key industrial crops (coconut) by 2030.

In the 2024-2025 period, Ben Tre aims to maintain a stable coconut area of approximately 79,000 hectares, including 20,000 hectares of organic coconuts. The value of coconut processing is expected to grow by an average of 17.2% per year, while export turnover is projected to rise by an average of 23.58% per year to reach approximately 1 billion USD.

In the 2026-2030 period, it aims to raise the total coconut area to around 80,000 hectares, including 25,000 hectares of organic coconuts. The value of coconut processing is expected to increase by 15.74% per year, while coconut export turnover is projected to grow by 14.87% per year to about 2 billion USD.