Sustainable Cocoa Enterprise Solutions for Smallholders (SUCCESS) Alliance Vietnam - Central Highlands
Project Dates: October 2006- September 2008
Country: Vietnam
Alliance: US Agency for International Development, US Department of Agriculture, the World Cocoa Foundation, Mars Inc., ACDI/VOCA and various local government and research organizations
Implementer: ACDI/VOCA
Overview
The SUCCESS Alliance Dak Lak aims to improve the economic wellbeing of ethnic minority smallholder farmers in the Dak Lak Province of the Vietnamese Central Highlands through the development of a sustainable cocoa industry. The program introduces the core activities of SUCCESS Alliance Vietnam (2003-2007) which is active in Ben Tre, Bia Ria-Vung Tau, Tien Giang, and Binh Phuoc Provinces to Dak Lak Province. SUCCESS Alliance Dak Lak is active in 7 communes in Ea’ Kar District and 4 communes in Lak District.
Program Objectives:
- To train 1,500 to 1,800 farmers through the Farmer Field School approach
- To provide farmers with a total of 300,000 to 360,000 cocoa seedlings and seedlings of other crops suitable for intercropping
- To provide training in post-harvest practices such as fermentation
- To develop a market information system for the project area
Progress to Date:
- 41 training facilitators and government extension agents trained. The training facilitators are each assigned to a cocoa club through which farmers will participate in Farmer Field School training over the course of the program. Currently, 16,630 farmers are enrolled in the training.
- Approximately 200,000 seedlings distributed. Participating farmers received cocoa and Crotalaria (a temporary shade tree) seedlings. Over the course of the project, farmers will each receive an average of 200 seedlings.
Profiles of Farmer Field School Participants
Mr. Y Hien Ong of Lak District attempted to grow coffee, but was not very successful. Through the SUCCESS Alliance program, he is learning to grow cocoa and received 150 seedlings to start his farm. He has found that cocoa is easier to plant than coffee and the investment required to care for the seedlings is minimal. He hopes his venture into a new crop with a new methodology will bring him a higher income.
Mr. Y Bec Na Eban of Yang Tao Village in Lak District reports that almost all of the 200 cocoa seedlings he received from SUCCESS Alliance are growing well. He is excited about the benefits that changing the planting structure of his farm will bring. He is looking forward to applying his training to provide the proper follow-up and maintenance of the trees in each phase of their development.
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