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Vietnam Tries Hard
Though Vietnam is the second largest coffee exporter globally, the quality of its produce is still low since it has yet to adopt global quality criteria, the industry association has admitted.
Doan Trieu Nhan, deputy head of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association, told the Coffee Quality and Market Outlook in 2007 conference in Hanoi Thursday that the country was using old criteria and there were no quality tests at ports before customs clearance.
Vietnam had not adopted the quality regulations set by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) that 25 other exporters had.
ICO officials said last year European ports had detained 1.5 million coffee bags from 17 nations and territories of which over 70% had been from Vietnam.
In 2005-2006 about 73 percent of the world coffee had met ICO standards but Vietnamese coffee had belonged in the remaining 27 percent.
Vietnam's robusta coffee is recognized around the world for its quality. But by the time shipments arrive in an import country, their quality deteriorates because of poor processing and preservation technologies.
No market forecast:
Vietnam has no agency for doing research or forecasts on the coffee market, leaving exporters and growers at the mercy of global changes in price and demand.
Production plans are made separately by exporters and farmers.
Thus, one year they could have a huge harvest but chop down trees the next year if prices go down.
Dang Kim Son from the Institute of Policies and Strategies told the conference that Vietnam should gradually reduce raw coffee exports and, like Trung Nguyen Coffee, focus on processed products to move up the value scale.
He also called for attracting foreign investments in coffee growing to improve quality.
Last year Vietnam exported coffee to 71 countries and territories, with Germany being the biggest importer, followed by Spain and the US.
It earned in excess of US$1 billion, second only to Brazil.
Tuoi Tre - Translated by Tuong Nhi
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