Cocoa prices hit record high, farmers excited to expand the growing area

Many cocoa growers in Chau Duc district are also having a bumper crop with record-high prices. Nguyen Van Duc, Deputy Director of Chau Duc Cocoa Cooperative, said that many households earn millions of VND every day thanks to cocoa fruits.

Nguyen Huu Nong, owner of a cocoa garden of more than 1 hectare in Song Xoai 2 hamlet, Lang Lon commune (Chau Duc district), said that this crop his family harvested about 2 tons of dry cocoa beans, earning a profit of VND 250 million, many times higher than before.

According to Nguyen Thi Chim Lang, CEO of Vung Tau High-Tech Agriculture Company Limited ('Baria Chocolate'), due to limited supply in the world, while demand is high, cocoa prices have continuously increased sharply since mid-2024. Baria Chocolate is also preparing the final procedures to export cocoa products to foreign countries such as Australia, Singapore, etc. with partners.

In the past 3 years, many Ba Ria - Vung Tau localities have strongly developed ​​cocoa planting areas in pepper gardens and fruit trees, bringing high economic efficiency. The province's cocoa products are currently purchased by many businesses to process into cocoa powder, chocolate candy, and cocoa wine and export to Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Europe. According to experts, this intercropping is quite suitable, and it is not advisable to completely switch to pure cocoa planting.

Dr. Nguyen Viet Khoa (Vietnam Cocoa Coordination Board) assessed that thanks to suitable soil conditions, cocoa in Ba Ria-Vung Tau has a special flavor and is ranked among the best in the world. However, Dr. Khoa said that, along with expanding the cocoa planting area, Ba Ria-Vung Tau should focus on quality from the beginning with an export orientation.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau has more than 650 hectares of cocoa, mainly concentrated in Chau Duc district. Recently, the People's Committee of Chau Duc district has supported 80 cocoa farming households with VND 2.7 billion to invest in seedlings, fertilizers, and agricultural materials to implement the cocoa cultivation process according to VietGAP standards and develop OCOP products to increase the value of agricultural products.

$ 1 = VND 25.370 - Source: Vietcombank.