Cassava industry overcoming challenges: Innovate to break through

Enterprises must see farmers as “vital partners”

Vietnam currently has nearly 600,000 hectares of cassava, producing over 10.5 million tons of fresh roots each year. Once regarded as a “famine-relief crop” that helped ensure food security, cassava now generates more than USD 1 billion in annual export value. However, with uncontrolled expansion of cultivation areas and intensive farming practices, the crop is increasingly revealing its weaknesses, from disease outbreaks to shortages of raw materials for processing.

A paradox is unfolding: domestic raw material supplies are severely lacking. Many processing factories have to import dried or fresh cassava from Cambodia and Laos, driving up costs and reducing profits. Another paradox is that, despite Vietnam’s vast cassava cultivation area, only a small portion is under contractual purchase agreements, leaving farmers to “fend for themselves” amid market volatility - trapped in the recurring cycle of “good harvest, low prices.”

Reality has shown that an industry without strong linkages between farmers and enterprises cannot stand firm. When businesses treat cassava growers merely as temporary suppliers, without investment or long-term partnership, the relationship becomes fragile. When prices fall, farmers abandon their fields; when prices rise, enterprises face raw material shortages. This is the clearest sign of a value chain lacking a sustainable foundation.

In 2023, Thailand, the world’s leading producer of cassava starch, faced a severe raw material crisis. The main cause was identified as the rapid, unregulated expansion of processing factories that neglected raw material development and abandoned farmers. After the crisis, Thailand’s leading enterprises changed their strategy: strengthening partnerships and working closely with farmers.

Each week, company technicians visit cassava farms to monitor pests and diseases, provide technical support, guide cultivation practices, and share market price updates. This close relationship helps ensure a stable supply, improve raw material quality, and build trust between enterprises and farmers. The lesson from Thailand shows that the cost of building such relationships is small, but the benefits are long-lasting - farmer loyalty and corporate reputation.

Therefore, Vietnam’s cassava enterprises need to take a more proactive role in working alongside farmers. Instead of “seasonal purchasing,” they should regard farmers as strategic partners - those who secure raw material supply and uphold brand reputation. When farmers have trust, they will follow proper cultivation practices, ensuring high-quality inputs that, in turn, enhance the enterprise’s value.

Sustainable development policies

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According to the Cassava Sector Development Plan to 2030, with a Vision to 2050, the Ministry has set a goal to raise export value to USD 1.8-2 billion per year, while reducing emissions and improving the quality and efficiency of the value chain. This is a key direction to help Vietnam’s cassava industry shift from traditional production to a greener, smarter, and more sustainable model.

In addition to requiring proactive engagement from enterprises, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) has introduced a range of supportive policies. Notably, the Cassava Production System Transformation Project, implemented in collaboration with JICA, JST, and CIAT, promotes circular farming practices and smart value chain management. The project aims to cut emissions, enhance soil carbon sequestration, protect natural resources, and improve economic efficiency.

At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has introduced the Sustainable Cassava Cultivation Protocol - the result of joint research by the Agricultural Genetics Institute, the Field Crops Research Center, and the Plant Production and Protection Department. The protocol integrates technical packages on cultivation, care, nutrition, irrigation, and disease-free seed propagation, enabling farmers to adopt a more synchronized and effective production system.

According to Dr. Dinh Cong Chinh, Deputy Head of the Food Crops Division under the Plant Production and Protection Department, developing cassava sustainably depends on four key factors: planting at the right time, strictly following technical care standards, improving soil nutrition through intensive cultivation, and ensuring adequate irrigation.

“When these solutions are applied consistently, average cassava yields could increase from 20.3 tons per hectare to 23-25 tons per hectare, bringing total national output to around 11.5-12 million tons of fresh roots per year. At the same time, starch content will rise significantly - creating a strong foundation for a more efficient and sustainable cassava industry,” Dr. Dinh Cong Chinh emphasized.

Mr. Le Huu Hung, Vice President of the Vietnam Cassava Association, stated: “Investing in research and breeding new cassava varieties and improving production processes is a survival strategy. Good varieties not only boost yields and reduce production costs but also secure raw material supply, limit imports, and enhance competitiveness. If breeding is done well, the goal of USD 2 billion in annual exports is entirely achievable.”

Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Van Tai, a representative of a cassava starch processing enterprise, emphasized that the “four-stakeholder” linkage - the State, scientists, enterprises, and farmers - is the key to sustainable development of the cassava industry.

“Enterprises need high-quality varieties; farmers need stable markets; scientists provide solutions; and the State connects and supports policies. When these four links work in harmony, Vietnam’s cassava industry will be more resilient to any fluctuations,” Mr. Tai affirmed.

The cassava industry is not only an agricultural crop but also a strategic source of raw materials for processing, biofuel production, and exports. Millions of rural households depend on this crop for their livelihoods. Therefore, restructuring the cassava sector, investing in disease-free varieties, expanding raw material areas, strengthening linkages, and applying biotechnology are essential steps.

With the joint efforts of the State, scientists, enterprises, and farmers, Vietnam’s cassava industry can achieve sustainable development - securing farmers’ livelihoods while enhancing export value, contributing to the realization of green, ecological, and circular agriculture.