Thieu Litchi production in Thanh Ha district (Hai Duong province, Vietnam) : producers and extension services strategies

The Thanh Ha district (Haï Duong province, North-Vietnam) has a long history of traditional Thanh Ha Thieu litchis cultivar production. However, the price paid to the farmers for this traditional cultivation has been reducing significantly for more than 10 years. In this communication, recent evolution of Thanh Ha Thieu litchis production and strategies established by producers in order to face the fall in price are studied and a diagnosis of the agricultural extension services involved in Thanh Ha Thieu litchi production is drawn up. Primary data were collected in 2012 through personal interviews and focus groups with multiple stakeholders, authorities and extension organisms and a survey of producers' households made with semi-structured questionnaires. Substantial reduction of litchis production participation in total household incomes was revealed. In parallel, Thieu litchis plantations superficies fall down being converted in favor of new fruit species or in favor of other litchis varieties depending on the production area operating a diversification process. Moreover, progressive abandonment of not converted plantations is marked by plantations cares reduction. In the past five years, all agricultural extension sessions about litchis production have been initiated and organized by the authorities at province and district level collaborating with input supply privat companies. Various inefficiency problems are highlighted such as disequilibrium in training session access, relative trainings uselessness or mismatch between producers' training demand and offer.