The K'ho people bring coffee beans to the world.

Coffee – an agricultural product closely associated with the lives of the K'ho people at the foot of Lang Biang mountain – is now available in Japan, South Korea, and is increasingly favored by coffee lovers around the world.

A source of pride at the foot of Lang Biang mountain.

From simply selling fresh coffee beans, K'ho farmers have now learned how to process and prepare specialty coffee and are collaborating with companies to bring coffee beans from the foot of Lang Biang mountain to coffee lovers around the world . "With technical assistance, we are confident in harvesting and processing high-quality green coffee beans," shared Mr. Ha Phang (Dang Gia Rit B residential area, Lang Biang ward - Da Lat).

Project to Link Up for Exporting Arabica Coffee to the World

At the foot of Lang Biang mountain, besides a rich and distinctive culture, the K'ho people are proud of their homeland, which possesses ideal conditions for growing delicious coffee: an altitude of 1,500 - 1,700 meters above sea level, a land known as the "roof of the Central Highlands," a cool climate year-round, and fertile soil, all very suitable for the development of Arabica coffee plants.

It was for this reason that Kiyotaka Yamaoka, a Japanese businessman, came and settled here, establishing a roasting factory and linking up to purchase and export green coffee beans. Having been involved with this land since 2020, Kiyotaka says that the Arabica coffee from Lac Duong, especially from the Lang Biang mountain peak area, is highly valued by international friends. From this, the Lang Biang Coffee Project was born. Each year, the project purchases 300-500 tons of fresh coffee from farmers for its members to process and export to markets such as Japan and South Korea.

Members like Mr. Ha Phang receive support in the form of machinery, greenhouses for drying coffee, and guidance on various processing techniques. Starting with just one or two households, the project gradually expanded, attracting more and more people to participate. Farmers' cultivation and processing techniques have also improved, helping to create more consistent, uniform, and higher-quality batches of specialty coffee. Every year, coffee from the top of Lang Biang regularly participates in SCAJ - the Specialty Coffee Festival of the World. It is the K'ho people themselves who directly meet international friends, brewing hot cups of coffee with the rich flavors of the mountains and forests to share with visitors.

Forming a community for specialty coffee producers.

Having participated in standardized partnerships and supplied green beans to famous brands, Ha Djim (from Lac Duong commune) always harbored a dream of taking Arabica coffee further. His coffee won second prize in the Vietnam Arabica Coffee Selection Competition organized by UCC. From that, he gained more confidence that the coffee beans from Lac Duong region had a delicious flavor, so he decided to build his own brand. And Hadjim Coffee was born, carrying the dreams and aspirations of this simple farmer for a stable income from coffee cultivation.

From a few pioneering members, Lac Duong Arabica coffee is now known to consumers through brands such as K'ho Coffee, Zanya Coffee, Yu M'nang Coffee, Hadjim Coffee, etc. On the map of Vietnamese specialty coffee, the raw material area in the former Lac Duong district is favored and highly valued by the market for its quality. Since 2015, the Langbiang Arabica Coffee brand has been established to enhance the value of the local product. Coffee production linkage chains in Dung K'no, Da Sar, and Lat communes quickly attracted hundreds of farming households. Through these linkages, farmers receive direct training, advice, and technology transfer from engineers; guidance on the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and cultivation processes suitable for each stage of plant development, soil type, and terrain, from initial care to harvest.

As the new processing season begins, the K'ho people at the foot of Lang Biang mountain are busy from early morning till night. The hillsides laden with ripe red coffee beans not only carry the hope for a better life but also represent the goal of producing high-quality coffee beans, opening up opportunities for sustainable development for the community. Under the diligent hands of the people, each coffee bean is harvested, processed, and naturally dried, preserving the pure, rich flavor of the land and sky.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/nguoi-k-ho-dua-hat-ca-phe-ra-the-gioi-409922.html