Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA) Gia Lai (VNA) – The Central Highlands province of Gia Lai has provided free coffee seedlings and farming techniques for local farmers in an effort to replace old, unproductive coffee trees. Gia Lai, which is one of the country’s largest coffee producers, has about 94,000ha of coffee trees. Of the figure, trees on 14,000ha are old and need to be replaced by 2020, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. In 2015-2017, the province has replaced more than 6,000ha of old coffee trees with new trees. This year, the province has replanted nearly 2,000ha, meeting nearly 90 percent of its target of 2,300ha for the year. To reach its goal, the department has provided free TR4, TR9 and TRS1 seedling varieties to farmers. Nguyen Thi Thuy Lan from Chu Prong district’s Ia Drang commune said she had received new seedlings to replace her coffee trees that were planted 20 years ago. Nguyen Van Gap, head of Chu Prong district’s Agriculture and Rural Development Division, said the district targeted replacing 2,000 ha of old coffee trees by 2020. Of the target, 400ha would be replanted with new trees this year, he said. Local farmers had registered to replant 481ha of coffee so far this year, up 30 percent against this year’s plan, he said. Under the province’s programme to replace old trees, several companies are working with farmers to produce organic coffee. The Gia Lai-based Vinh Hiep Company Limited, for instance, is working with… [Read full story]
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