Coffee harvest is good, prices are high.

Photo caption — Coffee harvesting at a coffee plantation in Xuan Son commune, Ho Chi Minh City.

Farmers are excited about the harvest season.

These days, Mr. Truong Van Minh's family (Loc Hoa hamlet, Binh Gia commune) is entering the peak harvesting season for their 7 sao (approximately 0.7 hectares) of dwarf green coffee. Having been involved with coffee cultivation for nearly 20 years, Mr. Minh said, "Previously, my family planted local coffee varieties that yielded low productivity and were not very economically efficient. Recognizing the need for change, I boldly switched to the dwarf green coffee variety, which is suitable for the soil and climate, is less susceptible to pests and diseases, and provides stable yields. Coffee cultivation requires less labor and lower costs for care and harvesting, making it very suitable for working-class families like ours," Mr. Minh said.

According to Mr. Minh, his family expects to harvest over 1.4 tons of coffee beans this year, compared to 600 kg last year. Currently, coffee prices are fluctuating between 100,000 and 105,000 VND per kilogram. With increased production and relatively stable prices, Mr. Minh is very pleased. “After deducting expenses, my family expects to earn a profit of over 100 million VND. For coffee farmers, this is a very encouraging income,” Mr. Minh shared.

Sharing in the joy, Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong (Lac Long hamlet, Kim Long commune) is harvesting over 1 hectare of dwarf green coffee plants, which are 6-7 years old. He expects a yield of over 3 tons of coffee beans this year. With a cultivation cost of over 90 million VND per crop, a selling price of 105,000 VND/kg will help Mr. Cuong earn a profit of approximately 200 million VND per hectare. “This year's coffee is both profitable and easy to sell. Traders come directly to the farm to buy, and everything sells out,” Mr. Cuong said excitedly.

According to reports, after a long period of low prices, coffee prices began to recover from the 2023 harvest season. By the 2024 harvest season, the price of green coffee beans had nearly doubled, from 65,000 VND/kg to 115,000 - 120,000 VND/kg. Although prices are expected to adjust downwards in 2025 compared to the previous year's peak, they will still remain high, fluctuating between 100,000 - 105,000 VND/kg - a price sufficient for coffee growers to make a profit and feel secure in their production.

Many farmers believe that, in the context of rising input costs, the stable and high price of coffee allows them to reinvest, renovate their plantations, adopt new farming techniques, and improve product quality. This is also an important prerequisite for coffee-growing areas in Ho Chi Minh City to continue maintaining their role as a key crop.

Instead of following the trend of expanding acreage, many coffee growers are choosing a cautious approach, focusing on replanting and improving the quality of their existing plantations.

Mr. Ho Xuan Huong (Son Lap hamlet, Xuan Son commune) currently has over 6 sao (approximately 0.6 hectares) of replanted coffee trees that are yielding harvests. According to Mr. Huong, after many years of experimenting with different crops, coffee remains an "easy-to-grow" crop, with relatively low care and harvesting costs. "The rising price of coffee brings good profits, but I don't want to expand the area drastically. It takes at least 3 years from planting to harvesting, while prices are always fluctuating. I choose to take good care of my replanted coffee garden to produce quality products and ensure food safety," Mr. Huong shared.

Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong recently planted 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares) of dwarf green coffee over a year ago and has already harvested its first crop. He assessed that the dwarf green coffee variety grows quickly, is resistant to pests and diseases, and is suitable for the local climate and soil conditions. After just over a year, the trees are over 1 meter tall, with wide canopies, abundant flowers, and large, uniform fruits. "Through several crop changes, I've found that coffee is still an easy crop to grow, requiring minimal fertilizer and pesticide costs, making it less strenuous for farmers compared to other crops," Mr. Cuong said.

Sustainable path

Besides the efforts of farmers, cooperative-business linkage models are playing a crucial role in enhancing the value of local coffee. Mr. Le Ngoc Can, Director of Chau Duc Cocoa Cooperative, said that the cooperative is implementing a coffee production linkage model with Non La Production and Import-Export Co., Ltd. (Tan Hai Ward, Ho Chi Minh City). This model includes supplying input materials, providing technical guidance on cultivation, organizing production linked to processing, and guaranteeing product sales. From 2023 to 2027, the model will be implemented on an area of 8.2 hectares with 17 participating households, achieving an average yield of 3-3.5 tons of coffee beans per hectare.

"The linkage helps coffee farmers adhere to cultivation procedures, stabilize product quality, and have peace of mind regarding market outlets. The amount of coffee purchased and guaranteed for each year is approximately 25.2 - 29.4 tons, contributing to increased income for the people," Mr. Can said.

According to statistics from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Environment, the current coffee growing area in specialized farming regions is nearly 3,000 hectares. With coffee prices remaining high, many households have returned to replanting and investing in caring for their orchards. However, the agricultural sector advises people not to indiscriminately expand their acreage when prices rise, but to focus on improving quality, building brands, and developing sustainably.

Currently, the city's agriculture and environment sector is stepping up efforts to promote coffee replanting; strengthening trade promotion, product advertising, brand building, and traceability. Simultaneously, training programs, technology transfer, high-tech applications, and good agricultural practices will be implemented to improve coffee quality and meet the increasingly high demands of the market.

With coffee crops currently experiencing both high yields and favorable prices, this presents a crucial opportunity to restructure production towards efficiency and sustainability. Controlled development, linking production to the market, and establishing value chain linkages will be key to ensuring coffee continues to assert its role as a key crop, providing stable livelihoods for farmers in the coming years.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/ca-phe-duoc-mua-duoc-gia-20251218112147003.htm