The growth of Vietnamese coffee production.
Coffee has become a major agricultural commodity of Vietnam. Vietnam is also the second largest producer and exporter around the world (after Brazil) and be able to compete number one position in the future. Over the past 30 years, Vietnamese coffee has jumped from 0.1% to 20% in market shares of the world’s coffee production. It shows that Vietnam is a big name on the coffee export map in the world.
Vietnamese coffee is mainly planted in Central Highlands
The history of Vietnamese coffee.
The French first introduced coffee
During wartime, Vietnamese coffee had not had an opportunity to expand. At late 1970s and 1980s as a whole, Vietnam implemented centrally planned economy in which most farms, croplands were belonged to the state, and public cooperatives, Vietnamese coffee again were not motivated to expand. As a result, the total output of coffee was not much.
K cups single serve coffee packs are selling at Amazon.
Vietnamese coffee production today.
Robusta coffee accounts for 97% of Vietnamese coffee harvesting with 1.29 million tons exported in 2012, a value of US $1.4 billion. As climate and soil condition of Vietnam is suitable with Robusta, it seems that Robusta is the only type known in Vietnam. However, Robusta is less favored than Arabica (because it contains more caffeine and therefore, it is bitter); Vietnam Robusta coffee have low prices.
In December 2014, Vietnam exported the total 115,450 tons of coffee abroad, increasing 30% comparing to last year. In recent years, Vietnam’s coffee exports seem to be sustainable grow at an average of 1.5 million tons to 1.7 million tons per annum. If its plan for Arabica coffee succeeds, the total export volume will much more increase and the gaps between Robusta vs. Arabica production will be narrow down.
A best-selling coffee grinder of Krups on Amazon.
Vietnamese coffee culture is unique.
Vietnamese people love drinking filter-brewed coffee. This is a very traditional and unique way of making coffee. While the world is getting familiar with coffee brewed from espresso machines, Vietnamese people are just loyal with black coffee drops coming out from a Vietnamese phin filter. They add some condensed milk into Vietnamese coffee espresso and put some ice to enhance sweetness and cool feeling. Vietnamese filter coffee is more and more popular globally as an old way of preparing coffee and draws a lot of attention from foreign tourists.
- Bonus cup (tips): Another post on Vietnam coffee you may like: Vietnam specialty coffee.
However, foreign coffee brands and chains are having their own ways to enter Vietnam and compete against local roasters. Nescafe is one of the oldest global brands entering Vietnamese coffee market and gains a noticeable market share. Some other foreign coffee chains just get started to taking the first steps into Vietnam such as Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, etc. and they get acceptations of Vietnamese younger generation.
A coffee container helps to keep roasted coffee beans at Amazon.
To sum up, Vietnamese coffee has many potential to grow. As the country is focusing robusta coffee for years; thus, it has more spaces to grow up arabica which offer higher prices. More than 90% of coffee export from Vietnam are green (raw) coffee beans. And the country has advantages on increasing processed coffee (roasted coffees and cheap instant coffees).
