I visited a farm on the outskirts of Can Tho and the plants looked happy and healthy. They sure like the rain!
Cacao plants don’t grow well anywhere outside of very tropical climates. They need tons of water and sunlight to be able to grow, and if it doesn’t rain all year long, they won’t survive! The plants also need lots of warm weather (between 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit), so places like Vietnam are perfect for them.
Drought is generally the biggest threat to cacao plants because they need so much rain water to survive. However, cold weather or high elevation can also harm these plants. Thankfully, we don’t have to worry about those things in Vietnam. We live only a little higher than sea level in a place with hot weather, high humidity and lots and lots of rain.
