Vietnam’s sugarcane industry licks lips over Coca Cola-VSSA deal

The Vietnamese sugarcane industry’s capacity will be improved after the Vietnam Sugar Association (VSSA) and Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam Co., Ltd inked a cooperation deal on April 11.
At the signing ceremony. (Photo: VNA)
At the signing ceremony. (Photo: VNA)
VSSA Chairman Pham Quoc Doanh said that under the agreement, 100 percent of the beverage giant’s sugar materials will be purchased domestically. In addition, the company will develop some sugarcane plantation areas so that female farmers can increase their incomes.

Training is included in the cooperation deal as well, Doanh noted.

In the past years, Coca-Cola has accompanied Vietnam’s sugarcane industry in production, business and consumption, making significant contributions to the sector’s development, he said, adding that many sugarcane companies of Vietnam have inked contracts with the beverage firm.

According to Calin Dragan, Coca-Cola Regional Director, Bottling Investments Group ASEAN and Middle East, Coca-Cola Vietnam has committed to enhancing domestic value chain through production, business and training activities.

The company has an ingenious plan to use domestic materials like coffee and aloe as the ingredients in its new beverage products, he stressed, saying that the freshly inked deal will create a comprehensive access for the involved parties to meet development priorities from the Government and businesses.  

Vietnam is currently home to 300,000 hectares of sugarcane and 38 sugar plants with total designed capacity of 150,000 tonnes of sugarcane per day. The country produces some 1.2-1.5 million tonnes of various kinds of sugar, 50 percent of which are refined sugar, serving processing industry and domestic consumption.

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