At a working session between Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Ngoc Trai and a CCA working group in Dong Xoai town on February 22, the two sides discussed issues regarding the cultivation and trading of raw cashew nuts.

Ouatara Bassifou, a representative from the CCA, said Ivory Coast produces about 700,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts a year but the average annual productivity stands at only 400-700 kg per ha.

As Binh Phuoc’s cashew productivity remains high, Ivory Coast wishes to partner with the locality to improve cashew varieties and learn from the province’s farming techniques.

For his part, Trai said it is the weather and soil conditions, and varieties that decide cashew productivity.

Stressing the high capacity of raw cashew nut processing plants in Binh Phuoc, the official pledged to help local businesses in developing international relations.

He suggested the CCA hold a working session with the provincial Cashew Association to facilitate the direct export of Ivory Coast raw cashew nuts to Vietnam.

Currently, Binh Phuoc has 134,000 hectares of cashew which yield 190,000 tonnes of cashew nuts annually, with an average productivity of 1.4 tonnes per hectare.