Coffee in Dong Nai once achieved yields of over 5 tons per hectare.

According to the province's plan for developing key industrial crops, by 2030, Dong Nai will have approximately 6,000 hectares of coffee, an increase of about 700 hectares compared to the present. Simultaneously, the province's coffee yield will reach 2.5 tons per hectare, with farmers focusing on green, clean, and organic production to meet the requirements of domestic and international partners. This is also the direction of sustainable agricultural production that Vietnam and other countries around the world are pursuing to adapt to climate change. With this yield, and if coffee prices remain high, farmers could earn a profit of over 200 million VND per hectare.

Coffee plants are very familiar to farmers in Dong Nai province, as the province's coffee growing area once reached over 10,000 hectares. However, there have been periods when coffee prices plummeted for several consecutive years, causing farmers to suffer losses and switch to growing fruit trees and other crops with higher economic returns. As a result, the province's coffee growing area has gradually decreased, and farmers are no longer as enthusiastic about applying science and technology to increase productivity.

For over 10 years, some farmers in Dong Nai province have been growing grafted coffee plants, yielding 5-6 tons per hectare per year. The grafting technique is not difficult for the growers. However, this coffee cultivation model was not widely adopted. Later, coffee prices fell, and farmers abandoned some coffee plants to intercrop with pepper and other crops. Consequently, coffee yields gradually decreased.

In the past, supply chains for coffee cultivation and processing have been attempted but have been unsuccessful, even though coffee has been identified as a key crop by the province for nearly 20 years. If, from that time, the linkage between the five stakeholders (farmers - businesses - the government - scientists - banks) had been effectively implemented, building a chain from production, processing, and consumption, a sustainable coffee-growing region could have been established.

With a yield of 5-6 tons/hectare/year and coffee prices ranging from 125-130 thousand VND/kg as they are now, farmers can earn a profit of 500-600 million VND/hectare/year.

Prices of agricultural products can fluctuate cyclically, so farmers who focus on yield, quality, and meeting green criteria will find it easier to connect with businesses for stable outlets; while those who chase after high-priced crops while neglecting quality are easily eliminated from the market. Durian trees are the clearest example of farmers massively cutting down other crops to plant durian.

Huong Giang

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/kinh-te/202505/ca-phe-dong-nai-tung-dat-nang-suat-hon-5-tanhecta-c333294/