HÀ NỘI — The capacity of the Vietnamese sugarcane industry is expected to improve with a co-operation deal between the Việt Nam Sugar Association (VSSA) and Coca-Cola Beverages Việt Nam Co Ltd.

The deal was signed on April 11.
VSSA Chairman Phạm Quốc Doanh said under the agreement, 100 per cent of the beverage giant’s sugar requirement will be met by domestic production. The association will also develop some sugarcane plantation areas to enable female farmers to earn more, he said.
In the past years, Coca-Cola has supported Việt Nam’s sugarcane industry in production, business and consumption, making significant contributions to the sector’s development, Doanh said, adding many sugarcane companies in the country have inked contracts with the beverage firm.
Calin Dragan, Coca-Cola Regional Director, Bottling Investments Group ASEAN and Middle East, said Coca-Cola Việt Nam was committed to enhancing the domestic value chain through production, business and training activities.
The company has an ingenious plan to use domestic material such as coffee and aloe as ingredients in its new beverage products, he said.

According to Dragan, the new deal will provide comprehensive access to the involved parties to meet development priorities of the government and businesses. 
Việt Nam currently has 300,000ha of sugarcane plantation and 38 sugar plants, with a 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 per cent of which are refined sugar, serving the processing industry and domestic consumption. — VNS