Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - More than 4,300 coffee growinghouseholds in the northern province of Son La will receive support in coffeefarming, production and trade under a 2-year project by the Foundation forInternational Development/Relief (FIDR) Vietnam Office – a Japan-basedinternational non-Governmental organisation.

The “Sustainable Coffee Project” launched last week via a webinarwill be implemented in six communes belonging to Thuan Chau district, Mai Son districtand Son La city.

Nobuko Otsuki, FIDR Vietnam Office’s Country Representative, said that withsponsorship from AEON, the FIDR in cooperation with Tay Bac University, SonLa province authorities and several supply chain companies would worktogether for sustainable coffee production through community development.

Underthe project, local coffee growers will have the chance to jointraining courses to improve their literacy, negotiation skills, farmingtechniques and trade-related skills, she said.

KahoriMiyake, representative from AEON, said that the project was prepared formore than one year but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, theproject's activities were changed to adapt to the new situation.

However,the participation of parties including the Tay Bac University, FIDR, Son Laauthorities and coffee farmers made the project run effectively.

“Peopleare happy to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee. When having the coffee, we shouldthank those who grow it, process it and sell it,” she said, adding thatthe AEON group expected that their consumers, especially those in Japan, toknow about Son La coffee and coffee growers.

DinhThanh Tam, Rector of the Tay Bac University, said that Son La province was thehome of delicious fruit and farming produce thanks to agood climate and geographical conditions.

Coffeehas been grown in Son La province since the 1980s. The province currentlyhas nearly 18,000 hectares of coffee, with last year’s productionat more than 25,000 tonnes.

Coffeeis grown mostly in the districts of Mai Son, Thuan Chau, Sop Cop, Yen Chau and SonLa city.

“Catimorcoffee grown in Son La province has good quality and it’s a pride of thelocality,” Tam said, adding that coffee farming helped local people improveincomes and living standards in the last few years.

However,coffee growers in Son La province faced disadvantages relating to limitedfarming level and trade understanding.

Farmersmostly sold raw coffee at low prices, Tam said, adding that technical and tradesupport was much needed.

CaThi Bien, a farmer in Chieng Ban commune, Mai Son district, said that she washappy to see that people liked the coffee made in Son La.

Shesaid she expected to learn more about farming and trading thanks to theproject’s support so that she could have a better stable income, thuscould pay her debts, send her children to school and open a grocery store.

CamThi Phong, vice director of the province’s Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentDepartment, said that in the last few years despite improvedfacilities for coffee production, Son La coffee still faced difficulties.

Oldcoffee trees with low yield were common in a large area. Coffeefarmers have yet to apply measures to ensure sustainable development or becomeresilient to climate change, Phong said.

NguyenXuan Hoang, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Thuan Chau district,said that most of the 5,500 hectares of coffee in the district were inhilly land, causing difficulties for farmers in harvesting and transporting.

Farmersused motorbikes to carry coffee from farms to purchasing sites of wholesalers,so labour costs are very high. Most of the farmers used home-madefertilisers and conventional farming techniques without proper understanding,Hoang said.

“Notably,farmers sold coffee to wholesalers and hardly knew where the coffee would gonext, or for which companies. As a result, Son La coffee has not developed itsown brand despite its good quality,” Hoang said, urging further support inbrand development.   

BuiThi Dinh, deputy chief of Mai Son District’s Agriculture Division, said localfarmers had difficulties in processing their coffee and treating agriculturalwaste.

Akilo of fresh coffee can be sold at 8,000-8,500 VND, but a kilo of dried coffeesold at 12,00-14,000 VND. Despite the big difference, local farmers mostly soldunprocessed coffee, she said.

Theproject is expected to offer solutions to lower input costs as well as propermarket understanding so that farmers can get better coffee prices./.