The journey from barren hills to a prosperous life of Son La farmers

TPO - In the last days of autumn, returning to Son La, anyone can easily see the bright red color covering the hillsides, mixed with the crisp laughter of the people hurriedly harvesting coffee. The coffee ripening season is not only the season of aroma and color, but also the season of joy, of prosperity, of changes that have taken root in each field for more than three decades.

Son La people are busy harvesting coffee.

From corn and cassava fields to the dream of abundance

Coffee trees were introduced to Son La in the 1990s, when the land was vast and the population was sparse, and people were still struggling to find ways to develop the economy . However, from the first experimental coffee trees, this seemingly difficult foreign tree has quietly adapted to the cool climate and rich basalt soil of the Northwest mountains, becoming one of the main crops, helping thousands of households change their lives.

In Chieng An ward, which is considered the capital of Arabica coffee, the story of changing one's life thanks to coffee is no longer strange. While busy harvesting coffee, Mr. Luong Van Duong, Chieng An ward, still remembers clearly the first days of bringing coffee to grow.

“At that time, we were very poor, had a lot of land but didn’t know what to plant effectively. When the government supported seeds and agricultural officers came to the village to give instructions, I boldly converted all my corn fields to coffee. At first, I was very nervous, worried about whether I would have a good harvest. Who would have thought that the plants were so suitable for the soil and climate,” Mr. Duong said proudly.

Coffee brings a prosperous life to the people of Son La.

Now, his family has more than 1 hectare of coffee, earning hundreds of millions of dong each year. From that stable income, he has built a spacious house, bought production machinery, and sent his children to school. He said, looking back on the past, he sees that coffee is not only a crop, but also a "tree of hope".

Not far away, Ms. Quàng Thị Hảo is also busy with her husband and children picking bunches of bright red fruit. This is a good season, the fruit is heavy on the branches, traders come to buy. With more than 1.5 hectares, her family has a good income every year, enough to cover living expenses and savings.

“With coffee, I don’t have to worry about hunger. My children can go to school, and the family always has money coming in. Looking at these red fruits, everyone feels happy,” Ms. Hao shared.

Coffee helps to escape poverty sustainably

According to Mr. Nghiem Van Tuan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Chieng An Ward, the entire ward currently has nearly 2,000 hectares of Arabica coffee, most of which are Catimor varieties with high productivity. Each year, this coffee region provides more than 15,000 tons of fresh fruit, bringing in hundreds of billions of VND in revenue for the people.

“Coffee trees are an important driving force in poverty reduction. Thanks to stable income, many families have been able to build new houses, buy machinery and expand production,” said Mr. Tuan.

Not only growing pure fruit trees, Chieng An people also flexibly intercrop fruit trees, both increasing economic efficiency and improving the ecological environment. In particular, the locality also combines coffee development with community tourism, creating a new direction that opens up many opportunities for the people.

Son La coffee has a unique flavor.

Mr. Tuan said that from 2026, Chieng An aims to replant 50 hectares with new high-quality varieties, aiming for a yield of 20,000 tons of fresh fruit and export of 2,000 tons of coffee beans. Coffee trees are not only a livelihood but also a brand and a source of pride for the people here.

From a small-scale production area, Son La now has more than 24,300 hectares of coffee, accounting for more than 41% of the country's Arabica area. Thanks to the application of VietGAP, 4C, UTZ, Rainforest Alliance production processes, Son La coffee trees have gradually entered the international market.

In recent years, the province exported 31,700 tons of coffee beans, reaching nearly 90 million USD, accounting for nearly 45% of the total export value of the province. Son La coffee has been present in demanding markets such as the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan... thanks to its characteristic sour taste, distinct aroma layers, suitable for processing specialty coffee.

Son La coffee is carefully selected to bring high quality, favored by domestic and foreign consumers.

Many businesses have also boldly invested in roasting and grinding lines, creating instant coffee products and packaged specialty coffees under the Son La brand, bringing the flavor of the Northwest mountains and forests closer to domestic and foreign consumers.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of Son La Provincial People's Committee affirmed: "Coffee is a crop that brings sustainable livelihoods, contributing significantly to the cause of hunger eradication and poverty reduction. The province is actively implementing the project of replanting and developing specialty coffee areas, increasing value along the chain; at the same time, stepping up trade promotion to bring the Son La coffee brand further."

Source: https://tienphong.vn/hanh-trinh-tu-nuong-doi-bac-mau-den-cuoc-song-am-no-cua-nong-dan-son-la-post1797014.tpo