Prospects from off-season coffee varieties in Ea Rieng

Ea Rieng Commune is located at the intersection of the Central Highlands and the South Central Coast, with a fluctuating climate, frequent frost, and unseasonal rain, especially during the flowering and fruiting stages of coffee trees. This is the reason why traditional coffee productivity in the locality has declined for many years, making people's lives difficult.

Recognizing the disadvantages caused by weather conditions, 715A Coffee Company Limited (abbreviated as 715A Company - a state-owned enterprise located in the area) has started to find a new direction. In 2018, the Company cooperated with the Central Highlands Agricultural and Forestry Science and Technology Institute, the agricultural sector of M'Drắk district (formerly) and the local government to survey and test two off-season coffee varieties TR14 and TR15.

Technical department of 715A Coffee Company Limited (right) instructs people on how to take care of coffee.

The biggest difference between these two varieties is that the flowering time is about 1.5 months later than traditional varieties, helping to “avoid” the frost and unseasonal rains. Initial test results show that the plants grow strongly, have a high fruit set rate, and are well adapted to the local climate.

From 2021 to present, Company 715A has replanted more than 125 hectares with TR14 and TR15 varieties. At the same time, the unit has also planted more than 22 hectares of jackfruit coffee - a type of tree with good drought resistance and stable bean quality. The first harvest in 2024 will yield 4 - 5 tons of beans/ha, double that of the old variety. In particular, the bean quality meets export standards, opening up new opportunities for the Ea Rieng coffee brand.

Not only a technical story, the success of the off-season coffee replanting model in Ea Rieng is also the result of close coordination between "3 houses": businesses - farmers - local authorities.

Mr. Dang Van Vuot’s family (village 2, Ea Rieng commune) is currently cultivating nearly 9 sao of coffee in association with Company 715A. Previously, low productivity made it difficult for him to make ends meet. Last crop, after completing his contract obligations, he still harvested more than 3 tons of coffee beans, nearly three times more than before. Believing in the effectiveness of the new variety, Mr. Vuot boldly replanted all of his family’s more than 1 hectare of coffee with the TR14 variety. “The trees are strong, with many and even fruits. If well cared for, the productivity will be even higher. Before, growing coffee was like gambling with the sky, but now it is much more secure,” Mr. Vuot said.

Not only the people, the change to new coffee varieties has helped businesses be more proactive in production, improving business efficiency. Mr. Nguyen Van Quang, Director of Company 715A, said that since switching to new varieties, productivity has increased, coffee prices have stabilized, and the lives of hundreds of contracted households have gradually improved. In addition to the linked area, the company also supports other people in the commune with seeds, fertilizers and farming techniques, encourages people to expand the area of replanted coffee in the area; at the same time, it consumes products at stable prices. Thereby, forming a synchronous and quality raw material area, helping businesses be proactive in production and expand their business markets.

Mr. Dang Van Vuot (village 2, Ea Rieng commune) takes care of coffee after replanting.

According to Mr. To Minh Mai, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ea Rieng Commune, the locality currently has about 2,770 hectares of coffee, of which about 1,000 hectares are under the management of 3 companies: 715A, 715B, 715C. Most of the area has been replanted by people with TR14, TR15 and jackfruit coffee varieties. "From struggling and struggling with all kinds of crops such as pepper, avocado, jackfruit, old coffee varieties..., which were not very effective due to unfavorable weather, now people in Ea Rieng Commune are confident with new varieties. The trees are suitable for the climate and are accompanied by businesses from seed to output, so people are very confident. The government has also actively participated, organized technical training, and supported policies. Actual results have proven that this direction is correct," said Mr. Mai.

Along with the efforts of the people and businesses, the local government is focusing on planning sustainable coffee growing areas, aiming to form large-scale concentrated raw material areas, meeting the requirements of quality and output for processing and export. Currently, some businesses in the commune have also considered investing in deep processing factories to increase product value and reduce dependence on the raw material market.

In the context of increasingly complex climate change, the conversion from traditional coffee to off-season varieties with close links between the "3 houses" is a proactive, adaptive and sustainable way of farming.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/kinh-te/202507/trien-vong-tu-giong-ca-phe-trai-vu-o-ea-rieng-afc12e8/