Quang Tri proposes to replant Khe Sanh coffee area

Huong Hoa district is the main Arabica coffee growing area of Quang Tri province and the Central region. This is also the locality that owns the famous Khe Sanh coffee brand.

According to the replanting and sustainable coffee development project in Quang Tri province in the 2017-2020 period, and a vision to 2025, the whole Quang Tri province will replant 1,910 hectares of coffee area.

By the end of 2020, Huong Hoa district had new-planted and replanted 490.5 hectares over 800 hectares, reaching 61.3% as the plan.

The replanting area is mainly in ten major coffee-growing Huong Hoa district's communes, including Huong Phung, Huong Son, Huong Linh, Huong Tan, Tan Hop, Tan Lien, Tan Lap, Pa Tang, Huc, and Khe Sanh town.

The total budget to support the replanting of 141.6 hectares is more than VND 1.55 billion (in which the provincial budget is VND 550 million, and the district budget is more than VND 1 billion).

To implement the project in 2021, the People's Committee of Quang Tri province has supported VND 275 million to replant 50 hectares of coffee area.

By now, Huong Phung commune and Khe Sanh town have registered their needs to replant the coffee area of 14.55 hectares (in which 8.95 hectares in Huong Phung commune and 5.6 hectares in Khe Sanh town).

Tan Hop commune and Huong Tan communes registered to replant 12 hectares according to the capital provided by the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center.

Meanwhile, some other communes within the project scope registered to convert to some specialty fruit trees with development potential for the district's climate and soil conditions. These trees are avocado 034 with 9.5 hectares in Huong Tan and Tan Lien communes, and Thai jackfruit with 66.5 hectares in Tan Lap, Huc, Ba Tang, and Huong Tan communes.

For the registered area for replanting coffee, the People's Committee of Huong Hoa district has assigned the district's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to place an order to sow seeds to deploy the fruit tree planting season properly.

This implementation process has been following the spirit of the Resolution of the 17th Quang Tri Provincial Party Congress to maintain 5,000 hectares of the coffee area stably.

According to Mr. Le Quang Thuan, Vice Chairman of Huong Hoa District People's Committee, this year's coffee crop has less area registered for replanting, not reaching the target as planned. The reason is that in recent years, the price of coffee has continuously decreased deeply. In contrast, input costs for products have increased, and the investment norm for replanting as per the technical process requires a large capital, leading to farmers meet difficulties in replanting.

“Although the production methods of people in the area have changed a lot, traditional farming habits have been deeply ingrained in their subconscious. In addition, the process of planting and caring for coffee requires a relatively large investment and requires intensive farming to achieve productivity and economic efficiency.

In addition, most coffee farmers in the area face economic difficulties, unable to meet coffee growing techniques. Currently, many energy investment projects affect the agricultural land area of the district, including the coffee area", said Mr. Thuan.

Based on the needs and actual conditions of the communes, the People's Committee of Huong Hoa district has proposed the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development consider submitting to the Provincial People's Committee to allow the district to convert 1,000-1,500 hectares of barren and inefficient coffee area to fruit trees such as durian, avocado 034, and Thai jackfruit.