The third Vietnam Coffee Day kicks off in Pleiku City in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on December 9. (Photo: VNA)Gia Lai (VNA) – The third Vietnam Coffee Day kicked off at Dai Doan Ket Square in Pleiku City in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on December 9, highlighting the country’s coffee-drinking culture.
The event featured a series of events, including an exhibition on various coffee products from six top coffee producing provinces – Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Kon Tum and Son La. Hundreds of stalls displayed premium products from popular coffee brands like Vinacafe, L’amant, Nestlé, and Kingcoffee.
It also provided a platform for domestic and foreign coffee growers, producers and businesses to meet and forge partnerships. They are expected to form sustained links through all stages of coffee production to boost Vietnamese coffee’s reputation and value.
In his opening remarks, Vice Chairman of the Gia Lai People’s Committee Kpa Thuyen said coffee was first bought into Gia Lai in 1975, and its production started booming in the 1990s.
Gia Lai is now home to nearly 100,000 hectares of coffee plantations which produce about 220,000 tonnes of coffee annually, he said. Most of the areas are grown in Bazan soil in the Pleiku Highlands, 600 – 800 metres above sea level, that creates a strong unique taste for the coffee, he added.
Thuyen said the event aimed to invite corporations, business leaders and organisations to the province to learn about the local culture, history and people and explore opportunities for partnerships and investment in coffee production and distribution.
Gerando Patacconi from the International Coffee Organisation (IOC) said over the last three decades, Vietnam has grown into a leading IOC member and the world’s second largest producer and exporter.
Vietnam is one of the best success stories in the industry, he said.
On the same day, a business matching event was held for local coffee producers and foreign importers. It was co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade), the provincial People’s Committee and the Vietnam Coffee – Cocoa Association (Vicofa).
Speaking at the event, Vietrade deputy head Le Hoang Tai said coffee is among Vietnam’s key agricultural products that has been exported to 80 countries and territories around the world, such as Germany, the US, Spain, Italy, Belgium and the UK./.
VNA
