Description
Le Cao Luong, Nong Lam University, Vietnam. Presented at the 2013 conference
Cocoa was introduced toVietnam by the French in the late 19th century. However, the sector remained small because the main focus was on rubber production.In the 1980s, there were some efforts to develop cocoa production for export to the Soviet Union. With the end of the Soviet Union, there was no longer a market for this cocoa and development of the sectorstopped.Later in the 1990s, interest in promoting cocoa development inVietnam returned,this time from the international cocoa industry. In 1997, a cocoa development program was launched to conduct the fundamental research and technology transfer needed to support the cocoa sector in Vietnam. At first,this work was supported by the American Cocoa Research Institute. The World Cocoa Foundation began supporting this project with Nong Lam University in 2000 and it continues today.Later,the cocoa sector began to attract funding support from Danish, German and U.S. government donors. Projects supported by these donors as well as cocoa and chocolate companies helped to introduce farmers to cocoa and increase production. Today, there are approximately 42,500 farmers growing cocoa on 22,500 hectares (55,500 acres). Exports in 2012 were approximately 3,000 metric tons with production expected to increase significantly over the next few years as more trees reach peak production age.
