HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Binh Phuoc province’s agricultural officialsare helping cashew farmers learn new cultivation techniques because of lossesincurred in recent years due to pests and inclement weather.
The southeastern province is the country’s largest producer of cashew.
The local authorities have provided farmer Dieu Choi, who has a 2ha casheworchard in Bu Gia Map district’s Phu Nghia commune, pesticides and fertilisersto improve his yield.
In the last harvest season, he had a poor yield of 700 kilos of cashew.
Choi has learned how to fertilise cashew trees properly, and identify pests andspray pesticides.
“I’m following the instructions and hope I’ll have a better yield this year,”he said.
Choi’s orchard serves as a model for other agricultural officials in thecommune.
Nguyen Van Huan, of Phu Nghia commune, said he had cut down grass and let itdecompose to use as fertiliser for cashew trees.
In previous years, he had not pruned many tree branches because he was afraidit would affect yield. “This year I pruned many branches, cut down grass anddid not spray herbicides,” he said.
Tran Dai Loi, Vice Chairman of the Phu Nghia commune People’s Committee, saidthe People’s Committee in cooperation with agencies has taught farmers how toprune branches, spray pesticides and fertilise plants properly.
Binh Phuoc has more than 71,000 households that cultivate 145,000ha of cashew.Most of the farmers are ethnic minorities.
The province plans to replace 25,000ha of old cashew trees from now to 2020.
Mosquito bugs (an insect that looks like a mosquito) and pests called trunk androot borers have caused damage to the trees.
The province has more than 2,400ha of cashew trees which need to be replacedthis year because of old age and diseases, according to the province’sDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Of the figure, Bu Dang district accounts for more than 1,000ha, and Bu Gia Map district,more than 900ha.
Nong Van May, who has a 8,000 sq.m cashew orchard in Bu Dang district’s Dang Hacommune, said he had cut down half of his cashew trees because the trunk androot borers had damaged his plants.
Over the past two years, he has had a poor harvest of about 200 kilos of freshcashew nuts a year. In previous years, the harvest was 600-700 kilos a year.
In Bu Gia Map Map district, agricultural officials have selected about 70cashew orchards to participate in the district’s programme to upgrade casheworchards.-VNS/VNA
The southeastern province is the country’s largest producer of cashew.
The local authorities have provided farmer Dieu Choi, who has a 2ha casheworchard in Bu Gia Map district’s Phu Nghia commune, pesticides and fertilisersto improve his yield.
In the last harvest season, he had a poor yield of 700 kilos of cashew.
Choi has learned how to fertilise cashew trees properly, and identify pests andspray pesticides.
“I’m following the instructions and hope I’ll have a better yield this year,”he said.
Choi’s orchard serves as a model for other agricultural officials in thecommune.
Nguyen Van Huan, of Phu Nghia commune, said he had cut down grass and let itdecompose to use as fertiliser for cashew trees.
In previous years, he had not pruned many tree branches because he was afraidit would affect yield. “This year I pruned many branches, cut down grass anddid not spray herbicides,” he said.
Tran Dai Loi, Vice Chairman of the Phu Nghia commune People’s Committee, saidthe People’s Committee in cooperation with agencies has taught farmers how toprune branches, spray pesticides and fertilise plants properly.
Binh Phuoc has more than 71,000 households that cultivate 145,000ha of cashew.Most of the farmers are ethnic minorities.
The province plans to replace 25,000ha of old cashew trees from now to 2020.
Mosquito bugs (an insect that looks like a mosquito) and pests called trunk androot borers have caused damage to the trees.
The province has more than 2,400ha of cashew trees which need to be replacedthis year because of old age and diseases, according to the province’sDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Of the figure, Bu Dang district accounts for more than 1,000ha, and Bu Gia Map district,more than 900ha.
Nong Van May, who has a 8,000 sq.m cashew orchard in Bu Dang district’s Dang Hacommune, said he had cut down half of his cashew trees because the trunk androot borers had damaged his plants.
Over the past two years, he has had a poor harvest of about 200 kilos of freshcashew nuts a year. In previous years, the harvest was 600-700 kilos a year.
In Bu Gia Map Map district, agricultural officials have selected about 70cashew orchards to participate in the district’s programme to upgrade casheworchards.-VNS/VNA
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