Muong Chanh builds high-quality coffee region

Exploiting the potential and advantages of land and climate, the people of Muong Chanh commune focus on developing coffee cultivation, which has become a key crop, aiming to build a high-quality production area, associated with product processing and consumption.

Coffee product display booth of Ara-Tay Coffee Cooperative, Muong Chanh commune.

Previously, Muong Chanh people grew coffee but mainly on a small scale, fragmented, with limited cultivation techniques, low productivity and quality. The commune government coordinated with the Department of Agriculture , fertilizer suppliers and cooperatives to promote propaganda and guide people to produce coffee in an organic direction, applying advanced technical processes from planting, caring to harvesting and processing. Thanks to that, the quality of coffee has been increasingly improved, meeting market demands.

These days, in Cang Muong village, farmers are focusing on harvesting the main crop of coffee. Mr. Lo Duc Chi shared: Before 2011, my family planted 1 hectare of coffee, but had no experience in caring for it, so the yield was low and the trees were often affected by pests and diseases. Since being instructed by the commune's agricultural officers on techniques of applying organic fertilizer, compost, pruning, and creating a reasonable canopy, the quality of the fruit has improved. Currently, the family has expanded to 5 hectares, harvesting about 60 tons of fresh fruit each year, earning an income of 500-600 million VND/year.

Officers of the Provincial Agricultural Technical Center guide farmers in Hom Loi village, Muong Chanh commune to take care of coffee.

In Hom Loi village, thanks to the application of sustainable coffee cultivation techniques, the 41 hectares of coffee grown by the people are growing well and yielding high yields. Mr. Luong Van Nguyen, Party cell secretary and village chief, said: In the past, people used chemical fertilizers, so the trees easily turned yellow and the soil quickly lost its fertility. Now they have switched to using organic fertilizers, the trees are healthy, the yield is stable, the seeds are firmer, of better quality, and the yield reaches more than 10 tons of fresh fruit/ha. Many households also use agricultural by-products to compost on-site, saving costs and protecting the environment.

Muong Chanh commune currently has nearly 1,350 hectares of coffee, most of which are grown organically, ensuring quality and being environmentally friendly. This year's coffee crop is expected to yield more than 16,500 tons of fresh fruit. The commune has actively supported households to establish small-scale processing factories, purchase products from farmers, gradually forming a production-consumption chain; encouraging cooperatives and cooperatives to participate in developing raw material areas, building the Muong Chanh coffee brand, aiming for VietGAP and organic standards.

Outstanding in developing high-quality coffee is the Ara-Tay Coffee Cooperative, with 14 members, cultivating 70 hectares of raw coffee and linking with 300 satellite households in the commune, producing coffee in an organic direction, ensuring cleanliness and safety. Ara-Tay coffee products have been certified as 4-star OCOP products at the provincial level, and are a typical brand representing Muong Chanh coffee. On average, each year, members of the Cooperative earn about 55 million VND/person.

Ara-Tay Coffee Cooperative's coffee roaster.

Sharing the secret to maintaining product quality, Ms. Cam Thi Mon, Director of the Cooperative, said: Ara-Tay is made from the specialty Arabica coffee variety, grown and cared for by Thai ethnic women in Muong Chanh. We focus on selecting the right variety, following the technical process, harvesting when the fruit is evenly red, ensuring the quality of the beans. The Cooperative invests in processing, roasting, and packaging machines to increase the value of the products.

Thanks to the support of the government and collective economic organizations, Muong Chanh people have boldly developed coffee trees in the direction of commodity, organic, associated with processing and consumption of products. Average income per capita reached over 45 million VND/year, the poverty rate decreased to 4.52%.

Mr. Nguyen Bien Cuong, Chairman of Muong Chanh Commune People's Committee, said: The commune continues to review and re-plan coffee growing areas, encourage organic production, linked with processing and consumption. At the same time, promote training, transfer of science and technology to farmers; support building brands and labels, strengthen links with businesses to expand the market...

Source: https://baosonla.vn/kinh-te/muong-chanh-xay-dung-vung-ca-phe-chat-luong-cao-ChMwzrgvg.html