Vietnam will maintain its total coffee farming area at around 600,000 hectares from now to 2020, focusing mainly on the four Central Highland localities of Dak Lak (190,000ha), Lam Dong (150,000ha), Dak Nong (115,000ha) and Gia Lai (75,000ha).

Nguyen Van Hoa, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Department of Cultivation, revealed the plan during a conference on sustainable development of the coffee sector in Dak Lak on March 11 as part of the ongoing fifth Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival.

Coffee growing in Dak Lak province (Photo: VNA)

The area used to cultivate new varieties will be raised to 40 percent of the total coffee crop, he said. Meanwhile, good agricultural practices (GAP) will be applied in 80 percent of the coffee area and 80 percent of fresh coffee output is expected to meet national quality standards by 2020, added Hoa.

Geographical indications (GI) will be built for high-quality coffee areas to boost their reputation.

Further favourable conditions will be created for farmers and enterprises to invest in storing and processing coffee, ensuring a high technical standard and raising the proportion of wet processed coffee to over 30 percent in 2020.

According to Hoa, 100 percent of coffee processing facilities for export are expected to meet national standards in 2020, while over 80 percent of coffee production will be shipped directly to consumers and processors abroad.

The official also revealed that a number of solutions will be proposed to the Prime Minister regarding planning, science and technology application, human resources training, and international cooperation.

Participants at the conference also pointed to the coffee sector’s limitations, including unplanned expansion of farming area growth, poor management of quality, and loose production connections./.

VNF/VNA