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Orientation for sustainable cassava development in Vietnam

In 2021, Vietnam cultivated cassava across 528,000 hectares, primarily in five regions. Total production reached nearly 10.7 million tons, with common varieties including KM94, KM95, HLS-11, KM98-1, KM140, KM419, and KM98-7. The country hosts 27 provinces and cities with 120 cassava starch processing factories, possessing a design capacity of 11.3 million tons per year. Cassava and its products constitute a major agricultural export, with an annual turnover of $1.35 billion, ranking second globally after Thailand. While China dominates as Vietnam's primary export market, other markets include Korea, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Japan.

In the initial two months of 2022, Vietnam exported 494,380 tons of cassava to China, valued at $205.77 million, marking a decline from the previous year. Efforts are underway to improve cassava exports to new markets, notably the EU, through enhancing processing and diversification. Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh stresses the evolving role of cassava as a commodity crop, advocating for scientific research and international cooperation to develop disease-resistant varieties. Additionally, there's a call for innovation in processing technology, expansion of raw material sources, and waste management improvement to ensure environmental safety and foster linkages between production and processing sectors, with a focus on cooperative models in cassava production areas.

Source: Orientation for sustainable cassava development in Vietnam (mard.gov.vn)