SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ARABICA COFFEE 

Since its presence in Son La province in 1945, Arabica coffee has now become the staple crop of the area. With an area of over 20,000 hectares, 19,300 hectares of which is Arabica coffee, Son La is currently among the largest Arabica coffee localities of the country; its annual output can reach 350,000 tons of fresh coffee bean. Nevertheless, over the past few years, Son La coffee has been facing great challenges from climate change, increasing area of aging coffee, along with the old fashioned farming technique and lacking of updated technical processes.

Aging Arabica coffee with low productivity

Within the framework of the project "Mitigation and adaptation to climate change in agriculture and forestry of the Northwest mountains" funded by Bread for the World from 01/2021 to 12/2023, implemented by SRD and in collaboration with Thuan Chau District People's Committee, the Department of Horticulture and Plant Protection and the Forest Protection Department of Son La province has conducted various Farmer Field Schools (FFS) in 04 communes of Thuan Chau district namely Muoi Noi, Bon Phong, Nam Lau and Chieng Pha.

On-site trainings on coffee cultivation techniques

The participants were involved in multiple sections such as sharing, discussions and instructions on identifying harmful pests and diseases on coffee trees including pest names, symptoms, and its development process, along with IPM integrated control measures. The main objectives of such sections were to promote the replanting of old coffee area, to encourage the use of organic fertilizers, and to apply agroforestry methods aiding a more climate-friendly coffee cultivation system. With the vision towards sustainable development of local coffee inclusive of promoting its full potential, raising farmers’ income as well as enhancing the export activities, SRD has been devoted to support the locals to develop specialized farming areas with larger commodity and higher quality.

Coffee entering harvest season

The year 2023 is forecasted to be a bumper crop of coffee in all 04 project communes with improvements compared to 2022; indeed, the productivity has been estimated up to 13 tons/ha, and the fresh coffee bean, as recorded in November, reached 13,000 VND/kg. Such accomplishment from coffee cultivation can not only aid the investment resources for Thuan Chau farmers, but also assure the sustainable poverty reduction.

As an effort to intensify the vital role of Arabica coffee in the socio-economic development in the mentioned localities, in the coming time, SRD and local partners will cooperate with a view to nurture the application of updated technical advances and the production process according to circular economy model; another target is towards global sustainability certification by strict compliance with required regulations.

A conference in Muoi Noi A village, Muoi Noi commune