Tran Van Than - the man who brought Dam Rong 1 coffee to its peak.

Returning to his hometown to start a business, young engineer Tran Van Than from Dam Rong 1 commune (Lam Dong province) has initially achieved success with his aspiration to elevate the coffee bean in his hometown into deeply processed products.

"Kind person" coffee

Amidst the vast green coffee hills stretching along the slopes of Dam Rong 1 mountain, there's a small workshop always filled with the rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans. There, young Tran Van Than, a chemical engineering graduate from Hanoi University of Industry, is diligently working beside a freeze dryer, monitoring each batch of coffee as it undergoes the deep processing stage.

With support from the local Youth Union, Mr. Tran Van Than, from Dam Rong 1 commune ( Lam Dong province ), started his business producing and processing pure coffee.

After graduating from university, young Tran Van Than began his entrepreneurial journey. After many years of struggling in the city, Than decided to return to his hometown to take care of his family and pursue his ambition of producing clean, pure coffee so that consumers could enjoy the authentic taste of coffee from Lam Dong province.

In 2018, with the support of the local Youth Union, Mr. Than boldly borrowed 50 million VND in preferential loans from the Social Policy Bank, along with 50 million VND of his savings, to invest in his first coffee roasting and grinding machine. Samarita coffee – meaning "kind person" – was born from that.

Samarita ground coffee, the coffee of "kind-hearted" Mr. Tran Van Than, Dam Rong 1 commune (Lam Dong province).

Driven by a desire to elevate the value of his hometown's coffee beans, Thân decided to focus on producing high-quality, pure roasted and ground coffee. Lacking experience, the young man toiled in his workshop every day, and in the evenings, he diligently studied documents and researched online. Once he had saved up some capital, he enrolled in advanced roasting courses to improve his skills.

To make high-quality coffee, Mr. Than carefully selects and hand-harvests ripe red coffee beans, then naturally dries them on a drying rack. The coffee is processed using the honey method, resulting in a sweet taste, balanced acidity, subtle fruity aromas, and a rich, pure aftertaste.

Coffee processed using the honey method has a sweet taste and a rich, pure aftertaste.

According to Mr. Than, at that time, the Dam Rong 1 area was still quite unfamiliar with pure coffee and high-quality coffee products. Farmers mainly sold green coffee beans and were not yet interested in the production and deep processing of coffee beans. Based on this reality, he collaborated with four coffee-growing households in the area to purchase their products and guide them in producing high-quality coffee. From there, he gradually improved the quality of the local raw coffee.

Mr. Than chose the brand name Samarita Coffee because Samarita in Hebrew means "kind non-believer," so Samarita Coffee is coffee for kind people, as an affirmation of the product's quality.

Investing in freeze-drying technology

Thanks to the reputation and quality of its high-quality coffee products, many acquaintances in the commune and province come to buy them for personal use and as gifts for relatives.

Mr. Than gradually expanded his market, seeking customers both within and outside the province. He also boosted sales on social media and e-commerce platforms, bringing Samarita coffee closer to consumers nationwide. Each year, his factory produces about 9-10 tons of ground coffee for the market, providing a decent income for himself and a stable coffee purchasing agreement for four farming households in the area.

Mr. Than invested in a freeze dryer to produce dried coffee.

With capital, he invested in more machinery and focused on improving product quality. He happened to learn about freeze-dried coffee from a friend who had traveled abroad, and Thân became interested, researching and developing the product. Freeze-dried coffee dissolves instantly in water, retaining its quality and rich flavor, making it very convenient.

Acting on his idea, in 2024, Mr. Than invested in a freeze-drying machine and experimented with producing freeze-dried coffee. After many failures, Mr. Than gradually mastered the process and technology, creating his own freeze-dried coffee product. Not stopping there, Mr. Than also undertakes freeze-drying services for vegetables, fruits, and other key agricultural products in the local area.

“To produce 1.3kg of freeze-dried coffee, you need 5kg of pure ground coffee. Freeze-drying technology preserves the color, aroma, and nutrients of the product, opening up a new direction for agricultural products from Dam Rong 1,” Mr. Than shared.

Mr. Tran Van Than, from Dam Rong 1 commune (Lam Dong province), has learned about and invested in advanced processing and freeze-drying technologies for coffee, vegetables, and fruits, helping to increase the value of agricultural products.

He believes that by investing in advanced processing technology, farmers will no longer be completely dependent on the price of fresh produce. Once coffee, vegetables, and fruits are processed using advanced techniques such as freeze-drying, which helps preserve them for longer and gives them their own brand, their added value will increase many times over.

Two products, pure roasted and ground coffee and freeze-dried coffee, have been recognized with OCOP 3-star certification, marking a significant step in the young man's journey to elevate the local brand.

According to Mr. Pham Van Duong, Secretary of the Youth Union of Dam Rong 1 commune, Mr. Than is a hardworking and dynamic young man, a role model for young people in the local entrepreneurship movement. With his passion and creativity, he has contributed to elevating the quality of local coffee products, creating processed products using the knowledge and technology of young people.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/tran-van-than-nguoi-thang-hoa-hat-ca-phe-dam-rong-1-396126.html