Opportunities for a breakthrough in specialty coffee.

Vine coffee garden - a recognized indigenous coffee variety, specially approved for circulation due to its high yield and quality.

The vitality of the fields and hills

In late December, traveling along National Highway 14 through Thuan An commune ( Lam Dong province), you'll encounter many coffee plantations in harvest season. The vibrant yellow and red hues of the coffee berries stand out against the green leaves, creating a picture of abundance in this prosperous countryside. Following Mrs. Tran Thi Kim My from Thuan Nam village, we arrived at the area specializing in the cultivation of native coffee – the "vine coffee" – in what locals call Ho Chay Thuong. Vast stretches of coffee plants, with many branches over a meter long laden with fruit, captivated many visitors.

Ms. My stated that this coffee variety has been present in the area for decades. It possesses many outstanding advantages, including disease resistance, a yield of 6-7 tons of dry coffee per hectare, and high product quality. Notable advantages include resistance to rust and pink mold (a very common disease), high drought resistance, wind tolerance, large fruit size, uniform ripening, and firm, plump beans. In processing, this indigenous vine coffee has been entered by local farmers into national specialty coffee competitions. Possessing these advantages, the brewed coffee has high levels of caffeine, chloraganic acid, and triglycerides, which are beneficial to health, consistently scoring 80 or higher – a sign of excellent, exceptional quality according to the scale of the American High Quality Coffee Association.

According to the People's Committee of Thuan An commune, recognizing this advantage, the local people have expanded the cultivation area to about 500 hectares within the commune. Thuan An also has a high-tech coffee growing area, with several organizations and individuals linking up to purchase and guarantee the product. The vine coffee – a native variety of the commune – has been recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment as a specially approved variety, so the opportunity to expand the cultivation area and attract large investors, especially in roasting, grinding, and deep processing, is very significant. For about four years now, a household in Nghia Tin village, Bac Gia Nghia ward, has been growing 4 hectares of coffee and raising civets, producing civet coffee. Currently, the family has over 10 civets that have been licensed by the authorities for commercial purposes. Besides being a specialty civet coffee product, raising civets also helps farmers become more aware of ensuring safe and high-quality farming practices.

Possessing many advantages to achieve a breakthrough.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Lam Dong province has the largest coffee growing area in the country, currently over 328,000 hectares, with an annual production of 200,000 tons. With advantages in land, climate, and varieties, the province has ample room to develop high-quality, high-value coffee, including specialty coffee associated with specific locations such as Thuan An, Duc Lap, and Cau Dat. Encouragingly, many regions, farmers, businesses, cooperatives, and production groups are now strongly implementing and expanding coffee cultivation, production, and processing processes according to standards, ensuring hygiene and food safety. This provides a solid foundation for combining government policies and support in the new phase (2026-2030) to enable this key crop of the province to achieve a breakthrough in quality. Many believe that the highest expectations are placed on high-quality, specialty products, as consumer demand is rising, thereby increasing farmers' income and promoting sustainable rural economic development.

To support farmers in producing high-quality, specialty coffee, provincial authorities, departments, and organizations continue to promote solutions related to seeds, technical guidance, support for processing machinery, and the development and promotion of coffee products to expand markets and build a valuable, high-quality Lam Dong coffee brand in the international market.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/co-hoi-but-pha-ca-phe-dac-san-414770.html