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Natural Rubber
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In the rubber sub-sector, the SMNR-CV project has carried out several technical and market surveys and a value chain analysis for the local smallholder rubber cluster in Bo Trach district. The results of the preliminary studies indicated that the local cluster is at a very early stage of development that requires intensive investments for further upgrading. Key bottlenecks include the lack of intra-cluster transportation infrastructure, such as all-weather access roads and a fleet of collection vehicles for the rapid transport of liquid latex to the processing facility in the centre of the cluster. Since interventions of this sort go well beyond the scope and means of facilitation by a TA project, no direct support activities were carried out in the field. However, concepts and strategies for upgrading linkages and organizing an effective latex supply chain within the cluster have been developed and made available to the key stakeholders. These concepts are being used to apply for additional support from other sources, such as the public budgets of the province and the district, commercial banks as well as the Worldbank’s project on agricultural competitiveness.
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Mushrooms
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The cultivation and marketing of mushrooms was initially supported by the precious project on food security. Major activities included direct support for farmers in the mountainous districts and the establishment of a facility to produce mushroom spawns in the capital of Dong Hoi. Whereas the production of mushrooms in the uplands has proven to be not sustainable (mainly due to adverse climatic conditions), the spawn facility has kicked off mushroom production in areas closer to the main markets. The SMNR-CV project continues to support the sub-sector mainly by facilitating business linkages among a successful production cluster in Le Thuy district and institutional customers, such as hotels, restaurants and major traders. Further activities identified during the stakeholder workshop, but carried out without the support of the project, include promotion campaigns to raise consumer awareness, collective marketing by producer groups and simple processing and conservation techniques. Folowing the development of the tourism industry in Quang Binh, the prospects are for an increasing demand for fresh mushrooms.
Rattan and Wood Processing
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In cooperation with GTZ-SME Development Program, the SMNR-CV project has carried out a preliminary study on the Rattan sub-sector. The background in 2005 was that a major international buyer of rattan products (IKEA) was looking for new suppliers and had specifically envisaged the provinces of Quang Nam and Quang Binh for a possible Public-Private-Partnership. The study in Quang Nam was carried by the SME program and has led to the support of an upgrading strategy. The study in Quang Binh, carried out by the SMNR-CV project, concluded that neither the harvesting of rattan as a raw material nor the initial processing steps were in any way ecologically sustainable. Rattan was harvested in an exploitative and destructive way until new supplies were secured from neighboring provinces and even from Laos. Pre-processing was done with old engine oil which leaked into the ground water. Consequently, a more cautious strategy was adopted by the SMNR-CV, integrating the sustainable cultivation of rattan into the work area of community forestry. Based on field trials and trainings on sivilcultural techniques, rattan is not promoted as a monoculture cash crop, but is inter-cropped under the forest canopy as enrichment planting in natural forests. At the up-stream end of the sub-sector, the SMNR-CV supports the establishment of small tree nurseries as private enterprises. Particluar attention is given to the introduction of indigenous tree specious which have alonger growth cycle ( and are therefore initially less attractive for small farmers) but produce much higher quality timber as a locally grown raw material for the processing industry.
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In cooperation with the GTZ-Forestry Program, in particular the component on processing, trade and marketing (PTM), several activities have been carried out in view of improving value-added for small forest solders. The PTM elaborated a study on the potential of the wood processing industry in Quang Binh. In a complementary approach, the SMNR-CV project in cooperation with its partners has carried out a province-wide representative survey on forest small holders. The aims are to establish and later monitor a data base on the availability of ready-to- harvest timber, to assist forest producer groups and associations in receiving group certification of smaller forest stands and to strengthen their position in processing and marketing of their timber.
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