CEPCI media release
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Jan 30: India and Vietnam have signed a MoU on extending bilateral co-operation for promotion of cashews.
It was signed on January 25, 2007 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam on the last day of the Indian trade delegation's visit to Vietnam under the leadership of Walter D'Souza, Chairman of the Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI), under the ministry of commerce, government of India. The Vietnamese side was headed by Dr Pham Van Bien, President, Vietnam Cashew Association (VINACAS).
A 28-member Indian delegation from six states visited the National cashew research stations, plantations, progressive farmers and processing units from January 22 to 25 and held high-level discussions with different stake-holders in the Vietnam industry, prior to entering into the MoU.
At the joint inaugural dinner meet on January 22, the Indian Consul General in Vietnam, Dr Jitendra Nath Misra spoke about the helping hand India had extended to Vietnam in the development of Agro products and the unparallelled progress made by them.
He assured the Indian delegation of all support in their endeavour to improve the bilateral co-operation. D'Souza complimented the Vietnam industry on the giant strides they had taken in the shortest span of about 15 years in becoming the world's second largest producer and processor of cashews overtaking Brazil, which enjoyed that position for over 50 years.
He also requested the members of the Indian delegation to take a clue from their example and adopt innovative steps to maintain and scale greater heights. India has been the leader in the industry accounting for the largest crop-size of about 5.5 lac Mts. and processing about 11 lac Mts. Vietnam production is put at 3.5 lac Mts. with Brazil at 2.5 lakh Mts.
As per estimates, the global cashew production is expected to be of the order of about 30 lac Mts. by the year 2020. Importers of cashew throughout the world had voiced their concern about the absence of systematic promotion and marketing to match the projected supply and urged the CEPCI to take up the leadership in this direction.
In response to the repeated requests from all stake-holders, a call was given by D'Souza at the International Tree Nut Convention in Montreal, Canada last May for the formation of a Global Cashew alliance with the above mandate.
This was endorsed by Antonio Jose Carvalho, President of Sindicaju, the Brazilian cashew association. The CEPCI was also requested to initiate talks with Vietnam.
The MoU now entered into with Vietnam is significant to the Indian cashew industry, as India accounts for over 65% of the total processing in the world.
The bilateral MoU will be sent to Sindicaju for their formal endorsement with corrections if any and it is expected that the tripartite MoU will be entered into and signed by the heads of the three organizations in Florida, USA in April, 2007.
John Petersen, chief executive of Kraft Foods, World's single largest importer of cashews has promised all help towards this initiative.
Other cashew importers, international brokers and service providers in many countries have also pledged their co-operation.
This is the first-ever MoU entered into by the CEPCI at the international level.