In 1922, around one century ago, the coffee trees were introduced to Dak Lak by the Westerners. Over the course of its 100-year history, the coffee tree has established itself as the dominant crop in this huge land of red basalt soil.

Vườn cà phê ở Đắk Lắk. Ảnh: báo Đắk Lắk

The well-known address of the coffee tree

Dak Lak is the coffee capital of the country. However, to achieve this result, the coffee industry in Dak Lak has experienced many ups and downs.

In 1922, the French colonialists extended their dominion to Dak Lak, Vietnam. This red basalt land quickly turned into vast coffee plantations. CADA plantation was one of the largest coffee farms at that time, covering an area of ​​about 2,000 hectares.

Today, the CADA coffee plantation is a well-known landmark and easy to find. The CADA plantation is located along National Highway 26, from Buon Ma Thuot city to Nha Trang city. CADA is an abbreviation for Compagne Agricole D’Asie (Asia Agricultural Company).

The establishment of the CADA coffee plantation also marked the birth of the CADA plantation workers. They were victims of land grabbing and impoverishment. Among them, the Ede and M’nong people accounted for up to 70% of the population.

From 1922 until before 1945, under the exploitation of the colonial regime, the workers were treated extremely cruelly, living in dire conditions. Faced with this situation, the workforce at the CADA coffee plantation and other plantations continuously rose up to struggle for self-liberation in the years 1927, 1932, 1935, and 1940.

Some Party members in exile in Buon Ma Thuot established the CADA Viet Minh Association, the CADA Self-Defense Unit, the Workers’ Leadership Council, and this was also where the first Communist Party cell among coffee workers, called the plantation cell, was formed.

This event marked the maturity of the CADA coffee plantation workforce and the workers in Ea Yông commune, Krông Pắk district.

From then on, the CADA coffee plantation workers turned this place into a revolutionary base and gained the first revolutionary government in Đắk Lắk province in 1945.

In the anti-American resistance, the CADA coffee plantation workers also participated in the general offensive, the Mậu Thân 1968 uprising, and the spring of 1975, liberating Đắk Lắk, and uniting the country’s southern region.

After 1975, Dak Lak province focused on developing coffee. On November 12, 1975, the Revolutionary People’s Committee of Dak Lak province decided to confiscate assets and land in the plantations, while mobilizing 75 individual households to donate nearly 2,000 hectares of coffee land.

Based on this, the Thang Loi, Ea Ho, 10.3, and Duc Lap coffee plantations were established by the provincially-owned agricultural company. Additionally, a series of centrally-managed state-owned companies were also founded.

Since implementing the economic renovation policy of the Party and the State in 1986, Dak Lak province has advocated for new coffee planting and extensive cultivation among the people. This led to the formation of large coffee cultivation areas in Buon Ma Thuot city, Cu M’gar, Krông Pắk, Krông Năng, and neighboring districts.

On January 26, 1999, the Ministry of Culture – Information, now known as the Ministry of Culture – Sports – Tourism, awarded the Certificate of Recognition to the CADA Coffee Plantation as a nationally recognized historical site.

Improving efficiency for coffee plants.

Dak Lak is the province with the largest coffee area in Vietnam, with nearly 210,000 hectares, accounting for 62.06% of the total perennial crop area of the province. The coffee production industry in Dak Lak has created direct and indirect employment for over 500,000 people.

In the context where coffee profits are no longer as high as before, functional sectors and the people are implementing an effective coffee replanting program. From 2014 to now, Dak Lak province has replanted over 35,000 hectares of coffee.

The total coffee production of the province reached over 500,000 tons. The export volume reached over 200,000 tons per year, with an export turnover of around 450 million USD per year.

The leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dak Lak province stated that coffee has been identified as a key crop of the province.

To ensure income, profits for producers, and the development of the coffee industry, the most important thing is to find ways to reduce investment costs, apply scientific and technical advances, improve production processes, and enhance coffee quality. In addition, it is necessary to exploit and develop higher-value products such as specialty coffee, organic coffee, and certified coffee.