This year, growers are once again enjoying both bumper yields and strong prices. Although prices have not reached the record highs seen two years ago, they remain elevated enough to lift farmers’ spirits.
A bumper crop at good prices
In Gia Lai, Nguyen Huu Thong of Thong Nhat Ward — who cultivates 1 hectare of coffee planted over a decade ago — said his trees are heavily fruited this season, producing large, firm beans. He expects to harvest 25 tons of fresh cherries, equivalent to more than 4 tons of parchment coffee. With selling prices hovering around VND115,000–117,000 per kilogram, his family will turn a substantial profit after expenses. “This Tet will be more comfortable for us than in previous years,” he said.
In Ia Phi Commune (Gia Lai), the harvest is in full swing. Farmers enthusiastically share techniques to preserve bean quality during the picking process. Ia Phi Commune Chairman Nguyen Cong Son said the commune has more than 2,800 hectares under coffee cultivation, and for the past three years, growers have enjoyed both bumper crops and strong prices. This has enabled steady incomes and encouraged households to reinvest in rejuvenation and expansion.
In Dak Lak, Tran Van Toan of Quang Phu Commune reported earning profits of roughly VND300 million from his 1-hectare plot this year, and said he plans to buy a car for easier travel.
Many other households in major coffee-growing localities, such as Quang Phu, Ea Kpam, and Krong Nang, have also built new houses and purchased cars, thanks to consecutive years of strong harvests.
Improving quality rather than expanding acreage
Alongside harvesting, localities are prioritizing quality enhancement and security throughout the coffee season.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Vuong, Chairman of Dak Ha Commune (Quang Ngai Province), said the commune — a key coffee-growing hub — is focusing on boosting product quality while safeguarding harvesting operations. The commune has issued a coffee-harvest plan that encourages residents to install surveillance cameras and work with police and neighborhood teams to conduct night patrols and strictly monitor outside buyers, preventing theft and the purchase of cherries of unclear origin.
Authorities are also guiding farmers to pick cherries at the correct ripeness ratio to improve bean quality and meet market demands.
According to the Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, favorable weather has supported robust crop development, with yields and bean quality projected to surpass 2024 levels. Stable, high prices could generate average profits of roughly VND300 million per hectare for farmers.
However, the institute advised growers to gradually shift from traditional agricultural production to an agricultural-economic model — diversifying revenue streams through intercropping and expanding high-quality or organic coffee linked to market partnerships. It also recommended avoiding expansion in areas unsuitable for coffee and instead focusing on replanting old, unproductive orchards with new, high-yield, high-quality varieties to secure sustainable income.
Mr. Trinh Duc Minh, Chairman of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association (Dak Lak Province), noted that for the sector to grow sustainably, farmers, businesses, and the State must act together, especially as major markets such as Europe tighten requirements on traceability and anti-deforestation compliance under the EUDR.
He said farmers must transition to clean, certified farming models and increase deep processing to add value, rather than exporting raw green beans as is common today.
Cracking down on fake coffee
Despite the strong profitability of coffee, some operators continue to produce counterfeit products for illicit gain.
In Dak Lak, provincial police recently busted a facility owned by Phan Danh Duong Bao, 52, residing in Khanh Hoa Province, which had produced more than 20 tons of fake ground coffee. Each 100 kilograms of product contained only 3–9 kilograms of real coffee; the rest was soybean and additives.
In Gia Lai, the provincial People’s Procuracy has prosecuted and detained Vo Minh Tung (Director of Nguyen Phat GL Co., Ltd.) and Nguyen Van Hanh, the company’s employee, for producing and trading counterfeit food products. Although Tung knew the caffeine content was low and the product failed to meet standards, he still ordered production and distribution, severely harming the reputation of the coffee sector and endangering consumer health.
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