HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Exports of cassava and cassava-based products wereestimated to be worth 443 million USD in the first four months of the year, ayear on-year increase of 23.9 percent, according to the Agro Processing andMarket Development Authority.

China was the biggest buyer, importing them to produce feed and ethanol.

Export prices are expected to remain high due to falling supply and high demandfrom China.

In the domestic market, cassava prices have reached 3,400 VND per kilogramme,the highest in many years, which has encouraged farmers to take better care oftheir crops.

Nguyen Dinh Xuan, director of the Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment of Tay Ninh province, which has the largest area under cassava inthe country, said at current prices farmers could earn over 70 million VND (3,030USD) per hectare per crop.

Last year the province harvested over 3.7 million tonnes, he said.

In the 2020-21 crop it has 33,340ha under the crop.

Tay Ninh has 65 factories that process cassava starch with a total annualcapacity of 6.4 million tonnes of tubers.

With local supply of cassava unable to meet their demand, they import fromCambodia or buy from other provinces, Xuan added.

In Gia Lai province, fresh cassava has fetched high prices this year. The GiaLai Tapioca Starch Factory, for instance, buys from farmers at 3,100 VND perkilogramme, 1,000 VND higher than a year ago.

Cassava is one of the main crops in Gia Lai, with 13,000ha under it, mainly inthe east and south-east.

Quang Ngai province has more than 16,000ha under cassava and produced more than311,000 tonnes last year, according to its Department of Cultivation and PlantProtection.

Farmers have planted more than 14,200ha, but more than 2,400ha are infectedwith leaf mosaic disease, it said./.