Vietnamese coffee production is ranked the second in the world (after Brazil) with an output of nearly 1,650,000 tons per year (ICO index). At the same time, Vietnam is in the top 5 coffee exporting countries with the highest dollar value.
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General introduction about Vietnamese coffee production
Coffee production is the strength of Vietnam’s agricultural industry with an output of more than 1 million tons per year. Vietnam deserves to be the second coffee exporting country in the world.
The history of Vietnamese coffee
The first introduction of coffee was documented in 1857 when a French Catholic priest brought an Arabica tree to northern Vietnam with hopes of establishing a small-scale venture. Though successful in his endeavours, it wasn’t until the early 1900’s that the Robusta bean made its way to the country’s central highlands, where the region’s climate and soil provide optimal coffee-growing conditions. Over the coming decades, the industry would boom as plantations sprung up all over Dak Lak province and its surrounding areas.
But what really propelled Vietnam onto the world stage of coffee were the ‘Doi Moi’ economic reforms of 1987, which greatly opened the country for trade. Shortly after, Vietnam would overtake Columbia to become the world’s second largest exporter of coffee.
Today, Vietnam accounts for 20% of the world’s total production of coffee (and 40% of the world’s Robusta beans), exporting over 1,650,000 metric tons each year. And an estimated 3 million citizens depend on agricultural coffee industry — not including the employees of the tens of thousands of coffee shops nationwide.
Vietnamese coffee production
Acreage of Vietnamese coffee land
In 2023, the planted area of coffee in Vietnam amounted to approximately 715.8 thousand hectares. Within the observed period, the planted area of coffee in the country had been growing steadily year on year. Vietnam is one of the largest coffee producers and exporters worldwide.
Acreage of Vietnamese coffee land
Vietnamese coffee output
Vietnam’s coffee output and export figures have been shaped by fluctuating weather, supply chain adjustments, and price dynamics over recent years:
- 2021-2022: Vietnam produced approximately 1.8 million tons of coffee, largely from its Central Highlands region. Although this year faced some pandemic-related logistical issues, Vietnam maintained its robust position in global Robusta coffee exports, with demand high in Europe and the U.S.
- 2022-2023: The 2022-23 crop yielded about 1.78 million tons. However, high temperatures and drought started impacting productivity. Despite the slightly lower output, coffee prices rose, increasing overall export revenues. Vietnam exported over 1.6 million tons, with a record revenue of $4.24 billion, marking an increase in value despite the decrease in volume, largely due to rising global coffee prices.
- 2023-2024: Vietnam’s coffee output was significantly affected by extreme weather, with projections dropping to 1.47 million tons, around 20% lower than the previous crop year. Droughts and an early dry season impacted major coffee-producing regions like Gia Lai, reducing yields. Nevertheless, record-high coffee prices compensated for the lower supply, maintaining revenue growth, and pushing coffee prices on international markets to over $4,000 per ton. By mid-2024, coffee exports had generated $3.6 billion, marking a 43.9% increase in revenue compared to the previous year despite lower export volumes
Vietnamese coffee production (thousand tons)
Vietnamese coffee producing regions
Vietnam has 3 coffee producing regions, in which the Central Highlands occupies the largest area and output.
- Northwest of Vietnam: The Northwest is the oldest Vietnamese coffee production region. Son La is the second largest Arabica coffee growing province in Vietnam after Lam Dong with more than 20,000 hectares and an output of 30,000 tons/year.
Vietnamese coffee production in Northwest of Vietnam
- Central Highlands: With favorable natural conditions such as tropical monsoon climate, red basalt soil, abundant water from the Mekong River, the largest coffee producing area is in 5 provinces of the Central Highlands, accounting for 85.1% of the coffee growing area and more than 90% of Vietnamese coffee production.
Vietnamese coffee production in Central Highlands
- Quang Tri: For a long time, Vietnamese coffee production in Quang Tri was neglected by policies to develop Robusta coffee in the Central Highlands. Since 2011-2012, Quang Tri coffee production has been promoted for export because of its high quality and unique taste.
Vietnamese coffee production in Quang Tri
Types of Vietnamese coffee
Currently, Vietnam has two main varieties of coffee, Arabica and Robusta.
- Robusta: Robusta accounts for 90% of Vietnamese coffee production, making Vietnam the second coffee exporter in the world.
- Arabica: Arabica accounts for only 10% of Vietnamese coffee production, but has the potential to develop specialty coffee in the future.
Types of Vietnamese coffee_ Arabica and Robusta
The Vietnamese coffee production process
The Vietnamese coffee production process is generally quite similar to that of other coffee producing countries in the world such as Brazil, India, Indonesia, Ethiopia, which involves many elaborate stages and requires strict standards for processing and handling.
However, the Vietnamese coffee production process has many differences related to seasonality, climate characteristics, topography, and technology application in the production process
Growing Vietnamese coffee
Vietnamese coffee production requires extremely harsh growing conditions. Each type of coffee has its own conditions. Arabica coffee trees require temperatures between 15°-24°C and an annual rainfall of about 1200 – 2200 mm/year. Robusta requires a higher temperature of 18° – 36°C and more rainfall (2200 – 3000 mm/year) than Arabica.
Growing Vietnamese coffee
Harvesting Vietnamese coffee
Harvesting coffee, an essential step in the Vietnamese coffee production process, requires a large amount of labor as well as ensuring the techniques when choosing ripe coffee beans, and picking coffee properly.
In Vietnam, coffee is hand-harvested and is done in batches in a crop to get the ripe fruit on the tree in time. This process can use machines but the quality of the beans will be uneven. Ripe fruit must reach a rate of over 95% before it can be harvested and the percentage of impurities should not exceed 0.5%.
Harvesting Vietnamese coffee
There are two common picking techniques in Vietnamese coffee production:
- With selective picking, seeds with a relatively ripe ratio (about 2/3) will be selected. Do not pick berries that are too ripe or too green because that way the coffee beans will no longer retain their original flavor, creating conditions for mold to grow.
Selective picking technique
- Strip harvesting is a popular harvesting method in Vietnamese coffee production. It is “stripped” from the tip of the branch to the end. This way saves time and labor significantly, but the quality of coffee beans is not good because it is mixed with green and overripe beans.
Strip harvesting technique
Processing Vietnamese coffee
Coffee processing process is indispensable and can be considered as one of the most important steps to decide the quality of the coffee products.
Dry processing method
As for the preliminary processing method in Vietnamese coffee production, dry processing is a common, natural, manual method and is applied by the majority of Vietnamese farmers, bringing high efficiency.
- Definition: Dry process is a natural method that uses sunlight to dry freshly picked coffee beans. Vietnamese coffee production method makes the coffee beans dry quickly, without damage, the coffee will have a sweeter and more fragrant taste.
- How to proceed
Step 1: Remove leaves, impurities from freshly harvested coffee beans.
Step 2: Dry it directly on the floor or use a canvas in the sun. Drying time may depend on temperature and time of day. Normally, coffee beans will be dried for 1 month until the moisture content in the beans ranges from 12% to 13%
Step 3: Dried coffee beans will be ground and dried to remove impurities, dirt, and remove the outer shell to produce white kernels.
Step 4: Store in clean bags and place in a cool place, prepare for grinding, processing or trading.
Dry processing method
Washed processing method
Vietnamese coffee production by the washed process requires more water and machinery than dry processing. On the other hand, using this method is quite expensive.
- Definition: Washed coffee processing method is a series of stages of processing coffee beans from harvesting, peeling, soaking, fermenting, and drying.
- How to proceed
Step 1: The coffee will be poured into a tank filled with water. Large seeds will sink to the bottom to prepare for the following process. Damaged seeds, impurities, and leaves will float to the top and be removed.
Step 2: Removing the pods. This process requires rapid action for the fermentation to take place properly. Then the shell and mucus are separated, the remaining coffee beans continue to be sifted, the floor is brought to the water channel.
Step 3: After removing the pods and impurities, coffee beans need to meet the standards of food hygiene and safety according to Vietnamese coffee production law as well as those in the world. Fermentation will proceed to remove the mucus. Fermentation usually takes place below 20 degrees Celsius and lasts up to 36 hours
Step 4: Expose the beans to sunlight to lower the moisture content of the beans by 10% to 20%. Finally, bagged for preservation or processing.
Washed processing method
Honey processing method
Honey process is a combination of two methods of dry processing and washed processing, giving honey-colored coffee beans. The beans are fermented for less than 12 hours to retain some of the mucilage and moved to a drying stage to lower the moisture content to 10% to 12%.
Honey processing method
Preserving Vietnamese coffee
It is very easy to fade the coffee smell after a month. So store it in a glass jar for at least 1 month to preserve its flavor.
Preserving Vietnamese coffee
Preparing Vietnamese coffee
Arabica coffee is often paired with a variety of beverages such as Espresso, Cappuccino, Latte because the high quality of Arabica coffee makes for a good cup of coffee. To achieve a balanced taste, people often mix Arabica coffee with Robusta. Each blend ratio between Arabica and Robusta coffee will bring a unique taste of coffee.
Vietnamese Robusta Coffee is frequently used in instant coffee. Its unique bitter taste and aroma are not retained by adding other elements such as milk and sugar to meet coffee drinkers’ standards. Therefore, many manufacturers have replaced Arabica coffee with Robusta coffee to reduce production costs.
Preparing Vietnamese coffee
How to buy Vietnamese coffee
Buyers can find products by searching for quality coffee suppliers in Vietnam on Google, major e-commerce sites like Alibaba, Amazon or international trade fairs held by Governments.
Prestigious Vietnamese coffee suppliers
The Top 3 Vietnamese coffee suppliers below are representatives for the distribution of high-quality coffee products in bulk, competitive price of coffee, and professional customer services.
Trung Nguyen Legend
With the mission of bringing Vietnamese coffee to the world, Chairman Dang Le Nguyen Vu dared to change the way coffee is grown and prepared to create excellent coffee beans.
Trung Nguyen Legend
Trung Nguyen Legend products
Buon Ma Thuot coffee brand, famous for being the best Robusta coffee beans in the world, is one of the top five raw material regions that Trung Nguyen prioritizes to select to mix and create great energy coffee products. It contains the taste and culture of Vietnamese coffee for coffee lovers and enthusiasts around the world.
The coffee taste of Trung Nguyen is the result of a dedicated Vietnamese coffee production process, daring to change, and many aspirations. The coffee production process is rigorous and selective to bring the quintessential Vietnamese drink.
K – Agriculture Factory
Established in 1996 by a founder with deep experience in trading Vietnamese agricultural products, Mr.Daniel. K-Agriculture has been well-known as a Vietnamese leading and most prominent manufacturer, exporter, and distributor of coffee.
K- agriculture is the leading wholesale company in Vietnam which is powered by the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade.
K- Agriculture
K- Agriculture products
The company has direct connections with major coffee producers in Lang Son, Lam Dong, Vietnam that will be responsible for distributing Vietnamese coffee, ensuring the Vietnamese coffee production standards of Vietnam and the world.
The company mainly provides processed raw coffee beans, committed to typical Arabica beans, the taste quality of the highland country as well as pure Robusta with reasonable prices.
Buyers can trade easily because of Direct wholesale company, Best Price, High Quality, Attentive customer care, Assurance & Exchange policy, Easy to buy Online.
Contact information:
Phone: +84855 555 837 (Whatsapp Available)
Website: k-agriculture.com
Email: info@k-agriculture.com
Intimex Group
Intimex Group is a prominent Vietnamese company with a strong presence in agricultural exports, especially coffee beans. Founded in 1995, the group has grown to become one of the largest coffee exporters in Vietnam and has expanded its operations across various agricultural and food sectors.
Intimex Group – wholesaler coffee beans in Vietnam
Intimex coffee products
Intimex Group’s primary focus is on coffee, particularly Robusta beans, which are widely grown in Vietnam. In addition to coffee, the group is involved in processing and exporting other agricultural products, such as pepper, cashews, rice, and tapioca starch. Their extensive portfolio supports Vietnam’s role as a major player in the global agricultural export market.
Intimex Group’s success in coffee exports is due to its comprehensive approach, which includes cultivation, processing, quality control, and logistics. The company works closely with local farmers and co-operatives to ensure a steady supply of high-quality coffee beans. By investing in advanced processing facilities and maintaining strict quality standards, Intimex Group has earned certifications such as HACCP and ISO, which are essential for meeting international standards.
