Generating huge income and protect the environment with organic coffee production

After graduating from College of Transport 3 in Ho Chi Minh City, Le Van Vuong, 37, from Ea Kao Commune, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak, worked as an engineer covering road and bridge constructions.

However, from the beginning of 2021, Vuong returned to his hometown and became a salesman for two local coffee brands. With experience accumulated from the job, he realized that consumers tend to pick clean and healthy products.

Acknowledging the potentials of organic coffee, the 8x-generation engineer founded Vuong Thanh Cong Production and Trading Co., Ltd specializing in purchasing coffee.

Organic coffee, the undeniable trend

Besides purchasing coffee from local households, he also focuses on organic coffee cultivation and defined it as his particular pathway.

To produce clean output products, a clean raw material area for cultivation is a prerequisite. As a result, he persuaded his family to shift from traditional coffee cultivation to organic ones in the area of 1.4 hectares in Ea Kao commune, Buon Ma Thuot.

According to Vuong, each hectare of traditionally cultivated coffee earns VND 96 million per year, while organic one brings VND160 million (an increase of 40-70%). In addition, the revenue from organic coffee products for making wine and tea more than VND 400 million within a year.

During the trial planting, coffee trees grew and developed well, the yield of organic coffee was equivalent to that of plants using chemical fertilizers.

Seeing the family's organic coffee area was well developed, bringing a high income, Vuong began to find the coffee area of the people to associate and expand.

However, he found it hard to persuade farmers to shift cultivation due to their doubt organic coffee is hard to cultivate and the productivity is fairly low.

“From a rough start, I had to meet every coffee grower to convince and commit to buy at a price higher than the market from VND 10,000 to 20,000 per kg depending on the year. The company also signs a contract with the garden owner after using, investing following the given process, if the yield is lower, the company will compensate for the damage for growers," said Vuong.

The area of organic coffee cultivation has increased year by year, from the initial 1.4 hectares to around 30 hectares by now.

According to Vuong, his company is the first and only of its kind in Dak Lak that grows coffee organically and certified.

Toward export organic coffee

From organic coffee beans, Le Van Vuong has created many products that are popular in the market. The first product successfully created by the company is Vuong Thanh Cong Special Moc Coffee, which is made by machine or filter.

Besides, Vuong also received processing coffee for detoxification and treatment; coffee used for beauty among others for other companies.

With the knowledge of oriental medicine and the enthusiastic support of everyone, Vuong spent a lot of time creating coffee alcohol; tea from coffee pods, and coffee wine. Most recently, he has also researched a tea product from coffee flowers, called coffee essence.

Regarding the output of organic coffee products, the young director is proud to say:  “Currently, the company's powdered coffee products sell at high prices but they are almost sold out. Currently, a coffee shop chain in Hanoi offers a contract to sell 36 tons of organic coffee for the company, however, the former was incapable of producing enough output, so the agreement did not take place," the director said.

To meet the increasing demand of the market for organic coffee, the company is expanding its association with people to expand the area.

It is expected that the area of organic coffee would increase to 60 hectares in the coming years. The company will aim to export organic coffee abroad when the area of coffee is ample.

“People who join the affiliate chain are supported by the company with 60% of non-refundable organic fertilizers every year. After growing organic coffee, the quality of the soil is improved, the investment costs of fertilizers and care are less than the years, and especially people are directed to sustainable production," shared Le Van Vuong.