VnSAT has a far-reaching effect on coffee industry in Central Highlands

VnSAT project has improved the competiveness of the coffee industry and increased incomes for people and at the same time reducing bad impacts on environment.

VnSAT is elevating coffee quality in Central Highlands. Photo: Tuan Anh.

VnSAT blows a second wind into Dak Ha people

Visiting Quyet Thang cooperative group located in Dak Ha district (Kon Tum province) on the last days of November, all the members here are bustle with harvesting pepper and coffee. Quyet Thang cooperative group has 43 members growing coffee on a 200-hectare plantation.

Nguyen Duy Toan, Quyet Thang cooperative group's leader said the harvest this year is not as good as expected due to much rain. However, coffee bean prices are now soaring to VND42, 000 per kilogram thereby bringing profits to growers.

According to Toan, the cooperative group received great support from the Vietnam Sustainable Agriculture Transformation Project (vnSAT) to grow and produce coffee in a sustainable way over the past years.

Apart from organizing training courses on sustainable model for coffee planting, VnSAT funded 50% of the costs of water saving irrigation installation and the construction of drying yards and warehouses. Particularly, VnSAT invested and put into use 1.7 kilometers of rural road in Ha Mon commune (Dak Ha district).

VnSAT project has created positive change in the rural areas of Dak Ha. In the past when the project was not implemented coffee yields were low. However with the support from VnSAT project the growers have currently understood how to take care, how to fertilize and water the coffee plants properly and effectively.

 “Previously, the locals felt afraid of replanting old coffee trees but when VnSAT project was launched and created productive coffee plantations many people started to learn and do the same,” Toan said.

Also according to Toan, thanks to VnSAT’s investment the road leading to the coffee plantation was repaired making it convenient for harvesting coffee and reducing transportation costs.

Duong Thi Thanh Luong, Deputy Director of the Board of Management of VnSAT Kon Tum said the project initially improved the people’s awareness of sustainable coffee cultivation over a five-year period. Accordingly, farm households intercropped coffee with fruit trees on coffee ecosystem to diversify their commodities and increase their incomes per one area unit.

 “Generally VnSAT has been creating positive change in the people’s awareness and in coffee production in the area. Sustainable coffee cultivation helps to reduce production cost and increase incomes for growers while the impacts on environment are limited, thus human health is ensured. As a result the value of coffee industry in particular and agricultural industry in general is improved,” said Luong.

Dak Doa and Chu Se districts towards sustainable coffee cultivation

Ham Rong Agriculture-Commerce and Ecotourism Cooperative based in Pleiku City, Gia Lai province) has been founded for two years. The cooperative got the funding support of VnSAT to adopt water-saving technology on the 50-hectare-coffee plantation in Dak Doa and Chu Se districts. Under the approved plans, VnSAT will continue to provide the cooperative with a fund of VND4.6 billion to construct a 6,000-square-meter drying yard system in the next period.

Especially, VnSAT will spend nearly VND4 billion to construct a 1.8 km road to make transport in the coffee-growing area more convenient. Besides, VnSAT will continue to help with training courses on sustainable coffee production and replanting.

Lam Quoc Trieu, Director of Ham Rong Cooperative said VnSAT’s sustainable model for coffee planting has benefited not only the growers but also the cooperative and the coffee purchasers thanks to improved traffic and water-saving systems.

Particularly as a participant in VnSAT project the Cooperative will inspire surrounding coffee farmers to adopt sustainable farming methods and practices and thereby increase the value of Vietnamese coffee.

According to the Board of Management of VnSAT Kon Tum, the project has been implemented in 17 communes and towns in the districts of Dak Ha, Dak Glei and Kon Plong. 4,530 households participating in the project have applied sustainable farming methods for 4,126 hectares of coffee plants.

VnSAT Kon Tum has established and strengthened 17 farmers’ organizations including 13 cooperative groups and 4 cooperatives with 1,411 households growing coffee plants on 2,700 hectares.

VnSAT also provided funding for Cong Bang Poko Agricultural Cooperative and Dak Mar cooperative group to improve the preliminary processing system.

VnSAT Kon Tum is now constructing 41.46 kilometers of rural roads in the communes of Ha Mon, Dak La, Ngoc Wang, Dak Ui and Dak Long to make access to coffee growing areas easier.