Enjoy Coffee owner perseveres with farmers to grow organic coffee

DAK NONG 'Our goal is to work with farmers to grow coffee using organic processes and bring customers quality cups of coffee with distinctive flavors'.

DAK NONG 'Our goal is to work with farmers to grow coffee using organic processes and bring customers quality cups of coffee with distinctive flavors'.

That is the sharing of Mr. Le Van Hoang, born in 1990, Director of Bazan Dak Nong Coffee Company Limited - owner of the Enjoy Coffee brand chain.

Talking about his “fate” with coffee, Mr. Hoang said that in 2012, when he was only 22 years old, he had just graduated from accounting in Ho Chi Minh City, and returned to Dak Nong. Instead of looking for a job in his field of study, he decided to open a coffee shop with a coffee maker. To gain knowledge about the coffee making process, he went to Saigon to learn how to make coffee, then returned to Gia Nghia to open a coffee shop with a coffee maker called Enjoy Coffee.

Mr. Le Van Hoang is introducing the process of harvesting ripe coffee to visitors at the Company's Enjoy Coffee farm. Photo: Hong Thuy.

“Until now, coffee drinkers here and in many other regions are used to drinking coffee that is darker and thicker. This is burnt roasted coffee mixed with additives. Although the quality is not guaranteed, drinking too much can affect their health, but they are used to it. Right now, mixed coffee is gradually losing its place, but many people who come to the shop still order that type of coffee. Meanwhile, machine-brewed coffee, although the purest, looks diluted and tastes blander. Therefore, in the first months of opening, very few customers came to the shop to order this type of coffee, instead they drank fruit juice and smoothies. After nearly a year of persistent persuasion and analysis, quality machine-brewed coffee has gradually been accepted by customers,” said Mr. Hoang.

From the success of the initial coffee shop, Mr. Hoang established Bazan Dak Nong Coffee Company Limited. Up to now, the Enjoy Coffee brand has 8 stores, 6 in Gia Nghia, 1 in Ho Chi Minh City and 1 in Hanoi .

With the goal of providing consumers with clean, high-quality cups of coffee, in 2017, Mr. Hoang researched and learned about the organic coffee cultivation process. He went to the Western Highlands Agricultural and Forestry Science Institute (WASI) to learn about high-quality coffee seedlings selected by the Institute. After preparing everything, he returned to invest in his family's 8-hectare coffee farm in Nghia Trung Ward, Gia Nghia City. He then continued to rent more land to expand the area to 17 hectares, all applying organic farming processes.

After an initial period of decline in productivity, organically grown coffee will gradually increase again, even higher than chemically grown coffee. Photo: Hong Thuy.

With the desire to help local people grow coffee organically, Mr. Hoang went to coffee gardens to see the cultivation process and persuaded garden owners to cooperate.

“It is not easy to convince them because they have been cultivating traditionally for a long time, using chemicals and fertilizers indiscriminately. Initially, many people agreed to cooperate when I said that I would purchase all products at a higher price than the market. But during the process, some people gave up because the organic farming process has mandatory requirements such as not using chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides, not using herbicides, but having to use hands or machines to cut grass, which takes more work…

Organic farming gardens initially look ugly, have a lot of weeds, and productivity decreases. However, those who are determined to follow it will get used to it after only 3 crops, and productivity will gradually increase to be equal to or higher than traditional farming, and will not pollute the environment, be non-toxic, and protect the health of themselves and consumers,” said Mr. Hoang.

Mr. Le Van Hai's coffee garden has been cultivated organically since 2019 when he cooperated with Bazan Dak Nong Coffee Company Limited. Photo: Hong Thuy.

Mr. Le Van Hai, who owns 3.5 hectares of coffee in Dak R'moan commune (Gia Nghia city), said: "I was one of the first people to join Bazan Dak Nong Coffee Company Limited since 2017. A few years ago, the coffee price dropped dramatically, to under 30,000 VND/kg, but the company still bought it for 40-45,000 VND.

I don't think organic farming is complicated. Initially, the productivity was a bit lower than chemical farming, but now it's quite good, reaching 3 - 3.5 tons/ha, while the investment cost is lower, so the profit is higher. Not to mention the products are consumed by the company, so there's no need to worry about output anymore."

Mr. Hai said that traditional farming makes the soil increasingly infertile, the coffee quickly deteriorates, ages, and yields are unstable due to chemical fertilizers and uncontrolled pesticide spraying. Since the partnership, he has been trained and instructed on farming techniques, soil treatment, water-saving irrigation, and techniques for using organic fertilizers and pesticides provided by the Company, so the coffee garden is growing better and better, with stable yields and fewer pests. "What I like most is the feeling of a clean garden, the soil is not contaminated with chemicals, there are many insects, I feel more secure when entering the garden, and I don't have to worry about toxic substances," Mr. Hai said.

To help farmers master the organic coffee growing process, reduce risks, and increase output, Mr. Hoang has linked up with the provincial agricultural sector and experts to open training classes for associated households, and experience the clean coffee making process on the farm.

Mr. Le Van Hoang (far right) at the coffee drying and processing area in the factory. Photo: Hong Thuy.

Up to now, Bazan Dak Nong Coffee Company Limited has cooperated with 30 coffee growing households in Dak Nong, with a total area of ​​over 100 hectares, and an average annual output of about 300 tons of coffee beans. With a clean source of raw materials, Mr. Hoang invested in a processing and sorting factory.

“To have good coffee beans, clean cultivation is not enough, but also requires careful processing and classification. Next, the roasting process is a very important step to have a cup of coffee with the brand’s distinctive flavor,” said Mr. Hoang.

Currently, in addition to the chain of 8 stores, Mr. Hoang also has 15 franchise stores and more than 100 agents in and outside the province. Enjoy coffee products are also available on online sales channels such as Lazada, Tiki, Shopee. In addition, coffee of Bazan Dak Nong Coffee Company Limited is also exported through a business partner.

In 2020, Mr. Hoang was one of 56 young faces awarded the 15th Luong Dinh Cua Award by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and one of 10 outstanding faces awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Prime Minister. In 2021, Mr. Hoang was honored by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union as one of 10 outstanding young entrepreneurs.

Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiep.vn/ong-chu-enjoy-coffee-kien-tri-cung-nong-dan-trong-ca-phe-huu-co-d409852.html