Project Title

An orientation for development of intercropping medicinal and aromatic plants in organic coconut farms in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam

Project Partners

University of New England, Australia

Funding Sponsor

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)

Budget (USD)

AUD $19,998

Project Coordinator

University of New England, Australia

Local Coordinator

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Khoi Nghia

Project Period

1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023

Overall Objective

The project aims to understand the current status of coconut farming practices among coconut growers in Ben Tre province of Vietnam in order to give recommendations and provide strategies for sustainable coconut farming development towards food security

Specific Objectives

-        Identify the constraints and advantages of the actual coconut farming practices among coconut growers in Ben Tre province.

-        Train the coconut farmers in Ben Tre province about the land use efficiency by changing the farming practices from monoculture of coconut into the intercropping system in the coconut farms with the medicinal plants under the organic farming practices to have a better income for farmers and soil health.

-        Consult for a local company trading of coconut for oil extraction to be aware of organic and intercropping farming practices between coconut trees and medicinal plants.

-        Publish nationally and internationally the obtained dataset collected from the survey and interview activities among coconut farmers and soil properties in Ben Tre province of Vietnam.

Activities

-        Activity 1: Survey and interview the current status of coconut farming practices including coconut cultivation techniques, the constraints and advantages during the coconut cultivation among coconut farmers in Ben Tre province of Vietnam.

-        Activity 2: Write and publish scientific papers in the national and international scientific journals from the dataset collected from the coconut farmer survey and interview.

-        Activity 3: Make a documentary film about the actual status of coconut farming practices in Ben Tre province and orientation for organic intercropping system in the coconut farms between coconut trees and medicinal plants for showing on the TV channel in Vietnam.

-        Activity 4: Train and educate the coconut growers in Ben Tre province how to grow coconut trees organically and to develop an intercropping system between coconut trees and medicinal plants and how important of soil health for coconut sustainable farming development.

-        Activity 5: Consult technically for a local company marketing in coconut oil extraction for exporting to develop organic coconut farms and as well the intercropping farming system between coconut and medicinal plants

Outputs

1.     Improve the dataset on coconut cultivation practices to provide sufficient data for orienting an organic and intercropping farming system between coconut trees and medicinal plants.

2.     Publish nationally and internationally the results of our scientific research in regard of coconut farming system in Ben Tre province of Vietnam.

3.     Enlarge nationally and internationally the reputation of coconut industry of Ben Tre and as well the Mekong River Delta the results of a bigger development of this specific coconut industry in Ben Tre and a whole Mekong River Delta region.

4.     Improve the knowledge and awareness of coconut growers in Ben Tre province about how to grow the organic and intercropping farming system between coconut trees and medicinal plants in their farms and the impacts of these farming systems on soil health, ecology, environment, land use efficiency, income and profits…

5.     Create and develop a future network of organic and intercropping coconut farming system for Ben Tre province involving many stakeholders including scientists, coconut growers, the local authorized people and local and international enterprises.

6.     Help the local enterprise understand how good of the organic and intercropping system in the coconut farms to improve the soil health, quality, environment, ecology and human health, farmer income and their company profit as well.

7.     Build up a good relationship between among stakeholders including scientists, enterprise trading on coconut export and coconut growers in in Ben Tre province for sustainable coconut farming system development.

Project website