During a recent press briefing in Ho Chi Minh City to introduce activities within the framework of Vietnam Coffee Day (December 10), VICOFA Chairman Luong Van Tu said the sector is restructuring itself to improve competitiveness.
To achieve the goal, the sector plans to adopt advanced and eco-friendly technologies in order to increase the rate of processing products of high added value, including instant and ground coffee, to 30% from the current 10%.
Over the past years, coffee has become an important agricultural product of the country, generating jobs for millions of workers and raking in billions of USD from export to 80 countries worldwide.
Vietnam’s coffee currently accounts for 15% of the global consumption. The country is the world’s biggest robusta coffee producer and exporter and the second largest producer of coffee beans.
In order to develop the coffee industry, the Prime Minister recently designated December 10, when President Ho Chi Minh visited Dong Hieu coffee plantation in the central province of Nghe An 55 years ago, as “Vietnam Coffee Day”.
The festival “Coffee Vietnam Day 2016” is slated for December 8-11 in Ho Chi Minh City with a range of activities, including a ceremony to announce the PM’s decision on Vietnam Coffee Day, coffee tasting sessions, an event to honour individuals and organisations who dedicate to the sector, and announce the list of prestigious coffee manufacturers and processors, and several seminars.
The event is expected to allow businesses to seek partners and market their products to domestic and foreign consumers.
