DakLak Province, the country's largest coffee producer, will replace more than 16,475ha of old coffee trees which have had a low yield from now to 2020.

In this year's rainy season, farmers and companies in the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) province will replace 4,423ha of old coffee trees.

Since 2011, the province has removed old coffee trees on 15,723ha and planted new ones. It has the largest replanted coffee area in the Tay Nguyen region.

Most replanted coffee areas are Robusta coffee trees, according to the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Farmers and companies have used coffee seedlings from various varieties, including TR4, TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8 and TR9, which have a high yield of 4.2 – 7 tonnes per hectare a year, said the department.

Most of the replanted coffee varieties have been supplied by the Tay Nguyen Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute.

DakLak has strengthened inspection of the production of coffee seedlings and instructed coffee growers not to buy coffee seedlings without a clear label of origin.

The province has petitioned the Government to have preferential policies to replace old coffee trees.

The preferential policies include soft loans and financial support for producing coffee seedlings.

It has also asked the Government to have specialised policies for coffee cultivation in the Tay Nguyen region, including agricultural insurance, irrigation, transportation and other infrastructure for coffee cultivation.

DakLak has more than 200,000ha of coffee. The province plans to stabilise its current coffee cultivation area to 2020, according to the department.

VNS