Coconut coffee - more opportunities for Ben Tre coconut trees

Recently, Bentre Coconut Production and Trading Company Limited (Bentrecorp)- owned by Mr. Ly Thai Hong Minh (currently living in Dong Nai province) researched and marketed Mong Dua CT3 "4 in 1" instant coffee product. It is a typical product of Ben Tre coconut land. This can be considered the first product in Vietnam made from coconut morsels.

Precious essence in coconut morsel

Normally, a dried coconut left for a long time under suitable conditions will germinate inside the coconut shell and escape to develop into a new individual through the mortise hole, called a mortised coconut. The coconut morsel is the intermediary that transports water and nutrients stored in the coconut shell to feed the plant. 

Coconut morsels are soft and spongy and are a familiar childhood dish of people in many places, especially people in some Western provinces - where there are tens of millions of green coconut trees covering the islets. It is estimated that at present, in Ben Tre, there are about 2 tons of coconut morsels that have been eliminated from production and used as food for livestock and poultry. 

Concerned about the difficulties of coconut farmers, Mr. Ly Thai Hong Minh - who has many years of experience in the field of coffee processing, living in Dong Nai province has begun researching the manufacture of products from coconut morsels to solve this economic problem. According to information from Chairman of Ben Tre Provincial People's Committee Tran Ngoc Tam, Bentre Coconut Trading and Production Co., Ltd was established to focus on researching products related to coconut trees, the main product of Ben Tre province.

According to analysis results of the Analysis Center (Nuclear Research Institute), freeze-dried coconut morsels contain saponin with a content of up to 6.44%. This is an active ingredient found in Ngoc Linh ginseng that is very good for health. Saponins can lower blood cholesterol levels, help prevent cardiovascular problems, stimulate antibody production, and enhance resistance to infections.

In addition, animal studies show that saponins also can fight and prevent the growth of cancer cells. Through the above encouraging results, Mr Tran Ngoc Tam, Chairman of the Ben Tre Provincial People's Committee, has oriented and directed relevant units to focus on supporting businesses in the research and production process. "When I came up with the idea that I would research and find a solution to consume coconut morsels for people in Ben Tre coconut land, the provincial leaders were very supportive," said Mr. Ly Thai Hong Minh.

After that, with the support and direction of Ben Tre province's leaders, Bentrecorp Company invested in modern equipment to produce products that meet food safety and hygiene quality, including Mong Dua CT3 "4 in 1" instant coffee.

As a result, quality coffee beans from the Di Linh plateau (Lam Dong) are carefully selected to combine with Ben Tre coconut morsel to create decadent cups of coffee with typical flavours of the country and are good for health. The product is expected to contribute to promoting the growth of the value chain of the Ben Tre coconut industry.

Mr Ly Thai Hong Minh, Director of Bentrecorp Company shared difficulties in the production process: “If you only sell coconut morsel essence, it will not be able to sell. Consumer products now have to be delicious and beautiful for customers to buy. I have nearly 20 years of experience processing coffee products, so I experimented with combining coconut morsel with coffee to create instant coffee products. At first, we also encountered many problems due to having to transport them from Ben Tre to Di Linh, not carefully preserved, The morsel cracked, absorbed water, fermented, and became oily... spoiling a lot of batches. When the product is finished manufacturing, it must also open the market for customers to try for months to adjust the formula".

Wishing to open new markets

“Of course, I do not encourage people to let their coconuts grow and sell them to me, but mainly consume coconuts that have ripened. Usually, in the upcoming rainy season, coconuts will lose their value. When they are purchased slowly, they will dry out and produce oil. Farmers will not be able to sell them, then I can exploit and sell coconut morsels. However, the company also wants to coordinate with specialized sectors such as agricultural extension to coordinate the exploitation of coconut flesh when it is young so that coconut meat and coconut water can still be used well to increase the value of coconuts. Instead of a desiccated coconut selling at VND 5,000, exploiting and selling apricots will also get VND 2,000, and adding another VND 4,000 will make VND 6,000”, Mr Ly Thai Hong Minh shared.

It is known that Bentrecorp is also developing the material area and developing the planting area code. The company has been deploying coconut growing areas in Binh Dai, Giong Trom, and Ba Tri districts to ensure stable growing areas, bringing Vietnam's coconuts in general and Ben Tre, in particular, to reach further along the official path. In addition to the coconut instant coffee product, Mr Ly Thai Hong Minh shared that the business is also researching a number of other products from coconut such as coconut nectar.