Overview
Cassava is an important industrial raw-material crop in Vietnam, with annual production of about 11 million tonnes. It is used as a raw material for tapioca starch, bioethanol, and animal feed. Vietnam is the world's sixth-largest cassava producer and holds the position of second in the world (after Thailand) in tapioca-starch exports. The cultivated area is about 520,000 hectares.
Growing regions and areas
The main cassava-growing areas are Tay Ninh province、Gia Lai province、Thanh Hoa province. Tay Ninh province is also a processing center where tapioca-starch factories cluster. It is widely grown in the hilly areas of the Central Highlands and the southeast, and is characterized by a hardiness that lets it grow even on poor land.
Cultivation methods and harvest season
Cassava's harvest season runs from October to February of the following year. It is propagated by stem cuttings and harvested 8–12 months after planting. The introduction of improved varieties with high starch content has raised yield and quality. To increase starch output per unit area, variety improvement and cultivation-technique improvements are carried out continuously.
Exports and market trends
Vietnam's cassava products (tapioca starch, chips) have annual export value of about US$1.4 billion. The main destination is China, which accounts for about 90% of export volume. As China's demand for tapioca starch rises, exports from Vietnam are trending upward. Demand as a biofuel raw material is also expected to grow going forward.
Connections with Japan
Japan is an importer of tapioca starch, and imports from Vietnam are also increasing. It is used for food processing (tapioca pearls, thickeners) and industrial purposes (paper and textile industries). Since the tapioca-drink boom, demand for tapioca in the Japanese market has held steady.
