More than 1,500 coffee growing households in Lam Dong province’s Di Linh district have been provided with credit loans for coffee re-cultivation so far this year.

According to the district’s People’s Committee, the Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development provided loans worth 104.3 billion VND (5 million USD) to help local coffee growers develop over 1,442 hectares for more effective coffee growing.

In addition, local authorities and the bank organised workshops on coffee re-cultivation, encouraging the application of effective methods among the farmers.

According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, nearly 23,000 hectares of coffee in Lam Dong province need to be redeveloped. They have targeted 9,800 hectares to be re-grown and about 800 hectares to be newly-planted in order to raise productivity and output.

With more than 146,000 hectares designated for coffee growing, the province expects to increase productivity to at least 2.8 tonnes per hectare by 2015 and form sustainable coffee production areas.

Di Linh currently cultivates 41,520 hectares of coffee, making it the largest coffee growing area in the province.

Source: VNA