Binh Phuoc: Industry promotion helps cashew industry

A member of Binh Phuoc Province’s steering committee for sustainable development of the cashew industry, Binh Phuoc Province’s industry and trade sector has efficiently managed and implemented industry promotion activities to bring cashew to new heights in foreign markets.  

Binh Phuoc is home to 270 cashew-processing facilities and more than 1,600 cashew household businesses, of which, 45 plants have a capacity of over 5,000 tonnes per year and the remaining establishments are small processing enterprises. The provincial people’s committee has issued a plan to develop the provincial cashew processing industry in 2010-2020 with a vision to 2025.

By the end of March 2016, the chairman of the provincial people’s committee approved a plan for sustainable development of the cashew industry in 2017-2020 through Decision 1559/QD-UBND. According to this plan, the Department of Industry and Trade is in charge of implementing three modules - assisting enterprises to innovate cashew processing technology, intensify cashew processing, and process cashew shells.

After the Golden Cashew Festival 2010, with trade promotion funding of more than VND1.8 billion, the provincial industry and trade sector regularly created conditions for cashew processors and producers to promote their products at fairs and exhibitions. The International Clients’ Conference for the Cashew Industry of Binh Phuoc Province, held in May 2017, is thought to have greatly contributed to promoting the cashew industry’s sustainable development.

The provincial Department of Industry and Trade is directing the Industry Promotion Center of Binh Phuoc Province to assist the cashew processing industry in intensive investment, technology transfer and food hygiene and safety assurance. In this regard, the cashew industry had access to assistance worth almost VND5 billion from 2010-2016.

The industry and trade sector will work with authorities at different levels to restructure cashew processors and exporters towards decreasing small and substandard processors, and relocating all polluting production establishments.

Cashew businesses say industry promotion assistance has encouraged them to develop production and apply advanced equipment, while branding and market approach activities have helped them carve a niche and gain growing customer trust.

Binh Phuoc says it will continue to efficiently implement industry promotion policies and mobilize capital from domestic and foreign resources to help the cashew processing industry’s development, while encouraging investment in cashew and by-product processing and forming big and competitive enterprises.

With VND1.65 billion from the 2017 national industry promotion program, this year Binh Phuoc will implement seven industry promotion projects, six of which are to apply modern equipment for export cashew production.