The event aimed to provide a venue for relevant parties to discuss ways to fully tap the potential of both domestic and international markets to develop coconut into a billion-USD industry.
Speaking at the event, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, Director of the MARD’s Department of Science, Technology and Environment, said that coconut is one of the six key crops included in the scheme for developing key industrial crops until 2030 issued by the MARD, which sets to increase coconut plantation areas to about 195,000-210,000 ha by 2030.
She noted with pleasure that Vietnamese coconut is becoming a high-value export commodity, and processed coconut products have high potential to increase the value of coconut cultivation and raise income for farmers.
She reported that 30% of coconut plantations have been certified as meeting VietGAP standards, and 30% have been granted planting area codes.
Vietnam targets to have over 200,000 ha of coconut nationwide by 2030 with key coconut-growing regions being the Mekong Delta (about 175,000 ha) and the south-central coastal region, she stated.
Coconut exports reached 900 million USD in 2023, and the figure is expected to exceed 1 billion USD this year.
