Positioning Gia Lai specialty coffee

(GLO)- In the strategy of developing the coffee industry, producers in Gia Lai have built a closed chain from farm to cup of coffee. This is not only an innovation in production methods but also a change in the mindset of approaching the market, aiming for sustainable added value.

The journey for Gia Lai coffee products to affirm their brand in the market is always associated with a closed value chain, starting from raw material areas certified as Organic, Rainforest Alliance, 4C - certifications recognized by international organizations to ensure production according to green, clean processes, protecting the environment.

From green beans to specialty coffee

Many enterprises and cooperatives in Gia Lai are pioneering in building and linking closed coffee production-processing-consumption, typically: Vinh Hiep Company Limited (An Phu ward), BaKa Company Limited (Ia Hrung commune), Thuy Dung Company Limited (Hoi Phu ward), Vinh Binh Tay Nguyen Production-Trade-Service Company Limited (An Phu ward), Tam Ba Production and Service Company Limited (Dien Hong ward), Nam Yang Agricultural-Service Cooperative (Kon Gang commune), Phuong Hoang Construction-Trade-Service Cooperative (Ia Nan commune)...

Japanese enterprises visit and learn about the Fine Robusta processing process of Tam Ba Production and Service Company Limited. Photo: DVCC

In particular, Tam Ba farm (Tam Ba Production and Service Company Limited) with 200 hectares of coffee on the red basalt land of Bien Ho commune has become a destination to learn about the closed process "from farm to cup of coffee" for many domestic and foreign business delegations.

Mr. Luu Vinh Quang - Deputy Director of the Company - said: Currently, the unit's 200 hectares of coffee are completing international Organic certification, while focusing on processing Fine Robusta specialty coffee for export.

“With its soil characteristics and superior quality of raw materials, Gia Lai coffee when processed into specialty products can open up thousands of flavors: sweet, fatty, slightly sour, rich in fruit, flower, honey, chocolate, caramel... Especially, if the growing area is certified organic, the value of the product can double, or even more,” Mr. Quang emphasized.

Not stopping there, Tam Ba also plans to invest nearly 700 billion VND to build an instant coffee processing factory, affirming its long-term vision of building a closed chain from the garden to the final product.

With the organic growing process, the processed coffee beans must reach 100% ripeness. After selective harvesting, the coffee is pre-processed using wet technology and dried on mesh racks to avoid impurities. Each batch of roasted coffee is controlled in temperature and time to preserve the original flavor of the beans. If you control the entire chain from raw materials to processing, the value will increase many times over.

Not only big businesses, the wave of coffee startups is blooming in Gia Lai. Many establishments boldly invest in technology, brands, targeting niche markets.

After more than 20 years of working with coffee, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thao - Owner of Thao Hien Coffee (Ia Grai Commune) realized that: If only selling green beans, the value earned is not commensurate with the effort. From that concern, she invested in a factory and machinery to process roasted and ground coffee, and package products under the Thao Hien brand.

Each batch of roasting and grinding is strictly controlled in temperature and time to preserve the natural flavor. “If we control the whole chain from raw materials to processing, the value will increase many times over,” Ms. Thao affirmed.

Towards sustainable added value

The “farm to cup” philosophy is not only an economic strategy, but also a cultural message: Growers take pride in the land, processors cherish quality, and consumers enjoy the kindness in every drop of coffee.

Mr. Le Huu Anh - Director of Lam Anh Agricultural and Service Cooperative (Dak Doa commune) said: The cooperative is cooperating with cooperatives to produce 300 hectares of coffee according to 4C and organic standards, and at the same time processing many specialty coffee lines.

“Consumers today not only drink coffee, but also want to enjoy the story behind the cup of coffee such as geographical factors, climate, closed process, the dedication of the producer… That resonance helps Gia Lai coffee affirm its position with its own identity” - Mr. Le Huu Anh said.

The coffee value chain is where raw materials are produced with the starting point of quality, of certificates such as Organic, Rainforest Alliance, 4C. Photo: Vu Thao

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Doan Ngoc Co informed: Gia Lai currently has about 107,400 hectares of coffee, of which about 56,690 hectares are produced according to Organic, Rainforest Alliance, 4C standards. Each year, the province supplies about 333 thousand tons of green coffee, but only 23% is processed, the rest is mainly exported raw. However, many Gia Lai coffee products have met the 4-5 star OCOP standard, the export potential is wide open.

In recent years, Gia Lai has also focused on promoting and connecting markets for coffee to reach out. The province has organized many events, typically the Gia Lai Coffee Festival - not only introducing models of high-quality coffee production and processing, specialty coffee but also an opportunity to share experiences, start creative businesses, and promote Vietnamese coffee culture to international friends. Through that, Gia Lai has gradually built its image as the "new specialty coffee capital" of the Central Highlands.

Expert Le Trung Hung - Vietnam's first Q Grader Lecturer has many years of experience supporting specialty coffee processing facilities in Gia Lai. He commented: Building a specialty coffee brand is not only about improving quality, but also creating an emotional connection with customers. It is the story of the journey from the garden to the cup of coffee, so that the connoisseur can feel the dedication of the grower and processor.

Gia Lai is facing a great opportunity to position the value of coffee, not only as a raw material area, but also as the origin of high-quality brands that are friendly to the environment and community, towards a sustainable coffee ecosystem.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/dinh-vi-ca-phe-dac-san-gia-lai-post565340.html