Vietnam is the most prominent producer of robusta coffee out of all countries, and is the second biggest producer of coffee overall, with Brazil being the first. This implies that it plays a crucial part in the creation of coffee worldwide, and has an immense impact on universal trading systems.
Are there high levels of quality in the country, or is it mainly quantity?
Despite what its repressive past would indicate, the nation’s image for great coffee is rising. In certain areas of Vietnam, the production of Arabica coffee is increasing, giving rise to enthusiasm among those who work with coffee.
A brief history of Vietnamese coffee production
Coffee came to Vietnam similar to many other areas around the world that are known for producing the beverage, due to colonization. In this situation, it was the French who brought it about.
Tony Le Ngoc Thuong is a profoundly experienced coffee trader who is also the assistant Chief Executive Officer at Vinacafe. He details the story of how coffee came to Vietnam and highlights how this impacted the country’s metamorphosis into the coffee titan it is presently.
He claims that French missionaries introduced coffee plants to Vietnam during the mid-1800s.
In 1888, French farmers Borel Leconte from Ha Nam, Coudeux Gombert from Nghe An, Michael Philip from Quang Tri and Rossi and Delfante from Daklak founded the very first coffee plantations.
Tony states that after first attempts, the cultivation of Vietnamese coffee accelerated significantly in the 1900s.
He also states: “Over the period from 1920 to 1925, there was a widespread planting of coffee in the Central Highlands.” By the end of World War II, coffee plantations had expanded to an area of 10,700 hectares and increased to 20,000 hectares by the mid-1970s.
Midhun Pachayil holds the position of Vice President of Coffee for Vietnam at Olam. He believes the Vietnam War significantly impacted the way the sector operates today.
He declared that the cultivation of coffee was interrupted by the Vietnam War and, after it had finished in 1975, the industry was taken over by collectivisation. In 1986, changes were implemented that allowed for private land ownership again, causing coffee production to significantly increase in the following years.
Tony stated that the nation’s most prosperous agricultural lands currently have over 600,000ha of space dedicated to coffee farming. This large region, mostly situated in Vietnam’s mountainous areas, produces around 30.7 million bags, each weighing 60kg, of unroasted coffee every year.
Overview of production & producing regions
Currently, 95% of the coffee produced in Vietnam consists of robusta, with the other 5% being arabica. The nation is best known for its former crop, the majority of which is cultivated in the Central Highlands area. Approximately four fifths of Vietnam’s robusta is produced in the Central Highlands.
Vietnamese coffee production has historically prioritized quantity and mass production due to its climate and higher terrain, which are ideal for cultivating the hardy robusta plant on a large scale.
Today, a large number of purchasers purchase large amounts of Vietnamese robusta, typically roasting and transforming it into instant coffee.
Vietnam has gained notoriety for providing large quantities of coffee at a reasonable cost, as a result of their preference for a low-interference, high-volume production strategy.
This has been damaging to Vietnam’s image as a source of origin, particularly to those coffee farmers hoping to generate high-grade robusta and arabica.
Arabica is farmed by smallholders in a few regions. The harvesting period lasts from November to January, coinciding with the gathering of crops in Central America. Arabica plantations are spread throughout the northern and southern regions of the nation.
A type of arabica called Catimor is the most easily accessible and popular in Vietnam because of its suitability for the climate, becoming high-yielding, tough and able to thrive at altitudes which are not too high. It is not widely recognized for its excellent mug quality, which prevents some Vietnamese producers from succeeding.
In recent years, some farms in Vietnam have chosen to move in a different direction and began to cultivate better varieties, such as Bourbon and Typica.
Central Highlands
Previously, we talked about how the majority of Vietnamese coffee is produced in its Central Highlands, which is known for its cultivation of robusta plants.
According to Tony, the Central Highlands area of Vietnam, comprising of Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, and Kontum, is the main producer of Vietnamese coffee.
According to Midhun, the Central Highlands is an optimal region for raising robusta, due to its height – between 300 meters and 500 meters above the sea level.
He claims that the region has a hot, humid atmosphere impacted by the monsoons of South Asia, which has clearly defined wet and dry periods. Robusta is grown in areas of hot and moist environments with little direct sunlight and temperatures ranging from 24°C to 26°C.
Arabica production regions
Arabica coffee is created in various parts of Vietnam whereas Vietnam’s robusta is principally grown in their Central Highlands. Arabica coffee is primarily grown in various places that are situated at higher altitudes and are ideal for raising this type of bean. Both those areas in the north and south fit the criteria to produce this variety.
Tony states that the Vietnamese arabica coffee plants grow in the cities of Da Lat, Dien Bien, Nghe An, Son La, and Quang Tri, located at elevations between 1000 and 1400 meters above sea level.
Midhun states that Arabica beans are ideal for locations that feature mountains, cooler temperatures of between 20°C and 22°C, and yearly precipitation between 1,300mm and 1,900mm.
He states that every area has its own unique and characteristic taste. He specifically mentions that Da Lat is known as an ideal location for Vietnamese arabica because of its height above sea level and the temperate climate that persists year round.
Processing, drying & other production methods
In times past, the purpose of Vietnam’s agricultural output and handling of it was mainly to produce a high quantity.
Most of the Vietnamese coffee is harvested by hand and then treated with a wet-processing technique, without much emphasis being put on natural, honey, or adventurous methods. An increased focus on refining processing procedures (especially after harvest) is becoming increasingly more important to increase superiority.
Tony informed me that it is customarily critical to make sure coffee is dried rapidly, leading to potential issues in terms of its quality. He claims that usually, farmers set their own prices and offer to local consumers, then immediately reinvest the money they acquire into expanding the size of their farm. This has effectively kept producers focused on quantity.
Midhun suggests that rather than only cultivating coffee, a lot of farms in Vietnam use intercropping. This occurs in two systems.
He mentioned a farm in which coffee trees are planted along with other plants on the same piece of land, which is referred to as a synchronized agriculture system.
Planting different crops in different areas, known as a segregated farming system, is another way of diversifying crops.
Midhun points to Dak Lak farmers who are part of Olam’s Rainforest Alliance program as a prime illustration of the advantages of intercropping, noting that these farmers have gained supplementary income from growing at least two different crops. Beforehand, the figure was just 24% for the region.
He states that farmers are taught to grow both coffee trees and other types of trees such as pepper, durian, avocado, and passion fruit together in the same area.
They are better equipped to cope with the effects of volatile coffee prices and the increasing heat of the climate.
Tony declares that a stronger grasp of the necessity for excellent Vietnamese coffee is on the rise.
He states that due to the current market prices, farmers are attempting to increase the value of their coffee by harvesting only fully ripe cherries, using a combination of natural and half-wet/honey processing techniques, and experimenting with fermentation to improve flavor.
Top 5 Best Vietnamese coffee beans exporter
1. Vietnamese coffee – Helena Coffee Processing & Export: Best Vietnamese coffee
Established in 2016, Helena Coffee Processing and Export in Vietnam Co., Ltd., more commonly known as Helena., JSC, is the leading coffee bean export company in the nation. After years of expansion, they have earned a reputation as one of the most renowned coffee producing and shipping companies in Vietnam. It is a Vietnamese coffee.
The products of this company are now sent out from their origin and consumed in places like China, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Ukraine and the US.
Helena is primarily shipping Robusta and Arabica coffee beans, and they have seen great success in the current Vietnamese coffee export landscape.
2. Trung Nguyen Legend – Trung Nguyen Vietnamese coffee
Trung Nguyen Legend (Trung Nguyen Vietnamese coffee) has two main goods they are focusing on selling on Amazon, these being instant and filtered coffee. Instant coffee has been developed to be convenient, whereas Passiona, Legend, Classic, and Special Edition iced milk coffee, filtered coffee are specifically created for coffee bars, with five unique flavors.
Trung Nguyen Legend coffee has been enthusiastically embraced by the coffee-loving community, and its selection of products of superior quality has allowed its popularity to spill over many international borders through the advent of cross-border online shopping. When it came to coffee and coffee-based drinks, the Amazon customer did not say they were “delicious” but rather commented that they were “pretty nice” or “quite good.”
This coffee from VN is worthy of a higher score.
3. Vietnamese coffee – Dak Man coffee beans
Dakman resides in Buon Ma Thuot, the main city of Dak Lak region, which is a prominent coffee-producing community situated in the middle of Vietnam’s Central Highlands. It is a Vietnamese coffee. We obtain robusta coffee from nearby agriculturalists via shipping containers across a system of 35 spots of collection.
Our state-of-the-art production lines, equipped with top-of-the-range coloring software, enable us to produce coffee of exceptional excellence while guaranteeing dependable quality for our customers.
We can accommodate the customer’s desires for coffee due to our adaptability in producing it. We offer an array of grade 2 through standard to bold beans, and all of them are without black beans, damaged beans, or foreign matter beans. That goes for the polish varieties too.
Dakman is devoted to honoring the faith that customers and suppliers in the area have in us, demonstrating our dedication to client gratification through the blending of global know-how and local comprehension.
4. Vietnamese coffee – Bon Mua Oregon
After several decades, Mrs. Marberry, who currently resides in Salem, took part in a business excursion to Asia. It is a Vietnamese coffee bean. Her success resulted in the opening of Bon Mua Oregon of Salem, offering coffee beans from the family’s farm situated about one mile above sea level in Southeast Vietnam. Even though it had not grown much, the farm was still a successful business.
During the past nine months, Four Seasons Oregon has significantly increased production, supplying green beans to distributors in Salem, Eugene, Bend, Portland, Seattle, Southern Oregon, and Arizona. Wholesalers in the Four Seasons Oregon and Robusta areas quickly acquired Arabica and Robusta coffee beans to satisfy the preferences of those who are more particular about their coffee beans.
Now, Oregon Four Seasons roasted coffee beans can be found at the EZ Orchards Farm Market located on 5504 Northeast Hazelgreen Road in Salem. There are proposals in place for additional stores in the Willamette Valley area and beyond. People who are looking to purchase something from Four Seasons Oregon can get it here.
5. Vietnam Coffee Republic – Vietnamese instant coffee – Vietnamese coffee brands
Developing a well-known coffee company that can be exported to Denmark. This is a combination of Vietnamese coffee beans and instant coffee mix sourced from Vietnam. Lam invested a considerable amount of time and energy into gaining knowledge about the coffee industry by staying on coffee plantations in both Indonesia and the Philippines for a period of half a year. He gained knowledge on the process of raising and making coffee beans. Lam researched Vietnamese roasted espresso in both Portland and Oregon before going back to Vietnam to initiate their operations.
He is currently increasing his resources and broadening his wholesale distribution network. He is looking for new associates who would be based at his major depot in Copenhagen, Denmark. He prioritized constructing a website as the next step. He desires to spread recognition of the VCR brand to a global level. VCR is committed to spreading the unique flavor of Vietnamese coffee to the world, in addition to providing coffee beans and related products from Vietnam.
Vietnam exported over 1.7 million tons of coffee in 2020, with a revenue of 2.7 billion USD, which comprised 18% of the industry and over 10% of the world’s coffee worth.
Vietnamese coffee is amongst the country’s ten most valuable exports, with an impressive export turnover of over 3 billion dollars annually, ranking it amongst the top six.
The majority of the green coffee is shipped off for exports, while the other 12% is made of deep-processed coffees like roasted and ground coffee, instant coffee meant for Vietnam’s internal market and overseas exports.