Overview
This project aimed to quantify the extent and intensity of serious constraints and problems affecting the production of coffee and black pepper in Central Highlands in order to improve the sustainability and productivity of the farming systems and value chains of these commodities in Gia Lai, Dak Nong and Dak Lak provinces.
Coffee and black pepper production in the Central Highlands of Vietnam are threatened by a range of issues related to inefficient and unsustainable production practices, declining soil health and increasing pest and disease pressures, resulting in declining productivity. Despite some initial research on these problems, there is still a lack of clarity on the extent and interaction of the various factors driving productivity decline in both commodities. It is therefore necessary to quickly develop a clear understanding of the on-farm issues effecting coffee and black pepper production in this region.
This project aimed to deliver a situational analysis of on-farm coffee and black pepper production in three target provinces in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The project will investigate the farming systems that rely on coffee and black pepper production and examine the distribution of soil and plant health and agronomic factors that are constraining production in the region.
This project was undertaken in conjunction with an investigation and situational analysis of the coffee and black pepper markets and value chains in Vietnam, AGB/2018/175.
Project outcomes
- Characterised the coffee and black pepper farming systems and the livelihoods these support within the 3 target provinces of the Central Highlands.
- Assessed soil health and soil-borne pests and diseases status within coffee and black pepper production systems in the target provinces, to gain knowledge on the importance of the constraints these pose and identify gaps in knowledge/research needs to restore soil fertility and plant health.
- Mapped coffee and black pepper production area.
- Developed and piloted a geospatial framework to map the extent of coffee and pepper, identifying agroecological suitability zones, and assessing the soil health issues and SBPD distribution.
