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Mr. Trinh Duc Minh - Chairman of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association . |
♦ Sir, as the 2025-2026 crop season begins its harvest, what are your observations regarding the advantages and challenges of this new season?
Vietnam has approximately over 720,000 hectares of coffee plantations, with Dak Lak accounting for about 30% of the area. In the 2025-2026 crop year, Dak Lak's production is projected to remain stable (or increase only slightly) compared to the previous crop year. This is because the high coffee prices over the past two years have strongly encouraged farmers to invest in plantation care, adopt sustainable production processes, and introduce new varieties for replanting.
However, coffee production is still being negatively impacted by climate change, with the likelihood of storms and heavy rains continuing during the peak harvest months (November and December 2025). This will pose a significant challenge to harvesting, processing, and drying.
In particular, the problem of drying is especially difficult for small-scale producers. Applying temporary drying solutions such as "bed drying" using charcoal or firewood can affect the quality of green coffee beans (causing unpleasant odors). For the specialty coffee segment, those with proper investments (such as greenhouses and drying houses) can partially overcome this, but new producers still relying on traditional sun drying will face many obstacles. Therefore, coffee-growing regions in Dak Lak need to research suitable solutions to ensure the quality of coffee beans if harvesting takes place during rainy and stormy seasons.
♦ In reality, coffee prices have consistently remained high, creating great opportunities for growers and export businesses. In your opinion, what is the best direction for Dak Lak to capitalize on this advantage in the new crop year?
- The increase in Robusta coffee prices is a positive sign, but the market always carries inherent risks. We advise farmers not to chase short-term prices but to focus on improving quality (not harvesting unripe fruit; harvesting ripe fruit at 90% or more…), ensuring traceability, and adhering to sustainable standards. Currently, the Association is encouraging businesses to strengthen coordination with farmers and cooperatives to build raw material areas that meet the EUDR regulations of the European Union. At the same time, we are supporting cooperatives in linking production with large roasters to create stable outlets for their products. The goal is to shift from selling raw materials to selling value – that is, selling branded products with certifications and the unique story of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Geographical Indication region.
♦ During the period 2025-2030, the global and Vietnamese coffee industries are projected to continue to be affected by climate change and stringent environmental requirements (such as the EUDR regulations). According to you, what values should Dak Lak focus on to affirm the brand of Buon Ma Thuot coffee?
- Although the coffee industry is facing many challenges, the trend of increasing global coffee consumption, the development of cultivation and processing technologies, as well as the demand for traceability and certified products… are also bringing many opportunities to the domestic coffee industry. I believe that Dak Lak, the "coffee capital," needs to continue promoting the transformation towards green production, regeneration, deep processing, and digital trade to maintain competitiveness and effectively adapt to changes in policies, markets, and climate.
In particular, persistently pursuing a strategy to enhance the reputation of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Geographical Indication contributes to improving the quality and reputation of Vietnamese coffee through the Vietnam Specialty Coffee Competition, gradually forming and developing a specialty coffee market, creating added value for Vietnamese coffee beans, and motivating coffee growers to focus on improving quality.
Thank you, sir!
(perform)
Source: https://baodaklak.vn/phong-su-ky-su/202511/giu-vung-vi-the-ca-phe-robusta-viet-nam-3fe0079/
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