In 2024, they established Jrai Ia Ly Agricultural Products Processing Company Limited. Their two products, pure ground coffee and pure whole bean coffee, achieved OCOP 3-star status in 2024 and 2025 respectively. By 2025, the company's revenue is expected to reach approximately 100 billion VND, with products gradually reaching customers in around 30 countries.
A desire to increase the value of local agricultural products.
* What motivates you to persevere in pursuing organic coffee farming, even though you know it's not an easy path?
- Ms. Rơ Châm Awưnh: The Jrai people in the village have been involved with coffee cultivation for a long time, but mainly based on experience, so the efficiency is not high. The overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides also leads to soil degradation and unsustainable crops. My husband and I have always wanted to produce clean products and increase the value of our homeland's agricultural products, so we are determined to pursue organic farming.
- Mr. Siu Sat: In 2015, I started converting 1 hectare of my family's coffee plantation to organic farming. Everything from care to harvesting was done meticulously. By 2019, I had encouraged 16 more households in the village to join. At first, the villagers were hesitant because they were used to the old methods.
Besides providing technical guidance, my wife and I also want the villagers to change their mindset and boldly explore new things outside the village. Once, we spent over 100 million VND to take nearly 40 members of the village's gong and drum ensemble on a trip to Ho Chi Minh City and Khanh Hoa. After that trip, many people started to change their way of thinking and focus more on their work. To date, we have partnered with 50 households, cultivating about 50 hectares of organic coffee, and we are continuing to expand.
* When did you feel you were on the right track?
- Ms. Rơ Châm Awưnh: 2024 was a period of great hope but also the most pressure. My husband and I decided to establish a company, investing billions of dong to build a factory and buy modern roasting and grinding machines. All of it was borrowed capital, so we lost sleep calculating every expense, especially during a time when coffee prices were high.
- Mr. Siu Sat: Many people say I'm reckless. But in my opinion, doing something without understanding it is reckless. I entered this field with preparation and a clear direction. However, it wasn't until our two products, pure ground coffee and pure whole bean coffee, were recognized with OCOP 3-star certification that my wife and I truly felt secure. That also motivated us to continue pursuing the path of sustainable organic coffee.
From a few kilograms of smuggled coffee to a revenue of 100 billion VND.
* What does reaching a revenue of 100 billion VND mean to you?
- Mr. Siu Sat: We have production partnerships with many households in the village, so after paying the villagers and other expenses, the profit is about 6 billion VND. But the most significant thing is not just the revenue, but the change in the mindset and practices of the villagers. More and more people are boldly switching to clean agriculture , producing sustainably, and believing that they can get rich in their own homeland.
* How did your product reach so many countries in just two years after its launch?
- Ms. Rơ Châm Awưnh: From the beginning, my husband and I decided that if we wanted to go the distance, we had to do things meticulously and maintain consistent quality. From cultivation to harvesting, we strictly adhere to the process. When harvesting, we only select evenly ripened, plump berries to ensure the best flavor. Then, the coffee is sorted, separated, and dried on racks to maintain cleanliness and quality. The entire production process is closed-loop, managed according to Organic and VietGAP standards.
Coffee is a highly competitive industry, so to find a market, my wife and I have to personally take our products everywhere and cherish every small order. One customer in Ho Chi Minh City ordered 2 kg of coffee to take back to Australia as a gift urgently; despite the distance, we still took a bus from Gia Lai to deliver it on time. Another customer in Dak Lak ordered a few kilograms to take to Canada, and we personally delivered it.
When customers trust the quality of the product, they will return and recommend it to their friends and relatives. In this way, Jrai Ia Ly coffee has traveled with customers to approximately 30 countries.
Telling village stories over coffee.
Concerned about how to retain young people in their homeland, preserve the gong music, communal houses, traditional dances, and cultural values of the Jrai villages, in September 2025, Siu Sat and his wife decided to establish the Tay Gia Lai Community Agriculture, Service and Tourism Cooperative.
Why did you choose "Jrai Ia Ly Agricultural Products" as your brand?
- Sister Rơ Châm Awưnh:
My wife and I want to build a coffee brand that bears the distinctive mark of the Jrai people. For the Jrai, rivers and streams are always closely connected to the life and consciousness of the village. In the Jrai language, "Ia" means water, and "Ly" is the name of a beautiful girl associated with the legend of Ia Ly waterfall.
I chose the name "Jrai Ia Ly Agricultural Products" not only for a coffee brand but also to tell visitors the story of the land, people, and culture of this region. I hope that when enjoying a cup of coffee, people will not only remember the taste but also feel the beauty of the Central Highlands and the Jrai people.
* With the development of community-based tourism linked to coffee and Jrai culture, what are your expectations from this approach?
- Ms. Rơ Châm Awưnh: I want to build a model that combines organic coffee with local cultural experiences so that tourists can fully experience the journey "from farm to cup of coffee," while also understanding more about the life, culture, and people of the Jrai people here. Through this, the villagers will also have more jobs and livelihoods.
The village currently has many favorable conditions for developing community tourism, such as skilled gong tuners, gong and drum ensembles, traditional dance troupes, and weaving crafts. Many young people who have graduated from colleges and universities and can communicate well with foreigners also wish to participate in tourism.
- Siu Sat (happily continuing his wife's words): During the last coffee harvest season, nearly 20 groups of tourists came to experience picking, roasting, and grinding coffee with the villagers. That gave my wife and me more motivation to continue pursuing this path.
However, the cooperative is not yet affiliated with tourism companies because it wants to prepare thoroughly before long-term development. What we hope for most is that when tourists leave the village, they will not only remember the taste of the coffee but also the sincerity of the Jrai people, the sound of the gongs, the communal houses, and the unique stories of this land. The cooperative also hopes to receive support and cooperation from the local Party committee and government.
What are your plans for the future?
- Mr. Siu Sat: Last April, the company was honored to welcome the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Pham Anh Tuan, and the provincial delegation to visit and encourage us. That was a source of encouragement for my wife and I to continue persevering with the path we have chosen.
In the future, the company will continue to expand its organic coffee growing areas, boost exports, and develop community tourism linked to local agriculture; thereby contributing to creating livelihoods and increasing income for people right in their homeland.
Thank you for this conversation!
Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/ke-chuyen-buon-lang-jrai-bang-ca-phe-post587246.html
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