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Our Coffee Farm in Vietnam
Region: Baoloc, Lam Dong
Altitude: 800 masl (metres above sea level)
Varietals: Robusta
Our farm is located in Bao Loc Plateau in the Central Highlands of Vietnam at an altitude of over 800m above sea level. The weather is cool all year round with high rainfall, humidity and mist, suitable for growing mulberries, raising silkworms, and especially coffees. The coffee beans are hand-picked throughout the Fall until December. Only the ripe beans are picked and processed, ensuring our coffee never tastes bitter. By applying a new “washed/semi-washed” process to our Robusta coffee beans, it results in having unique, better tastes and unnatural flavour.
Besides coffee, the farm also has tea, corn, and black pepper. As the generations passed, children moved away, the farms got smaller, but still remain in the family.
Coffee in Vietnam
Coffee was initially brought into the country in 1857 by the French, and it has become a major contribution field into Vietnamese economy. Coffee was initially grown only in provinces in the North of Vietnam, however, coffee was spread to the Centre and to the South of Vietnam afterward because the higher altitudes made for much more productive coffee plantations. Provinces in the Central Highlands currently are symbols of the coffee industry in Vietnam because they have all the requirements for coffee crops: fertile soil, idyllic weather and a high altitude.
Since the 1990’s, Vietnam has established itself as one of the world’s top coffee producers of the Robusta variety. Similar to the beans that come from Peru, beans from Vietnam are great for blending and adding flavours. With light acidity and a mild body, Vietnamese beans produce a balanced cup that deserves to be brought to the masses.
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Our Coffee Farm in Laos
Region: Paksong, Champasak
Altitude: 1,000 to 1,350 masl (metres above sea level)
Varietals: Robusta / Arabica
The Pham family purchased land and expanded to the Bolaven Plateau of Laos in 2010. This area ranges across altitudes of 600 to 1300m at a latitude of 15°North. The Bolaven Plateau is known in the coffee industry for its ideal climate and high quality beans. The coffee beans are harvested from late September to January and similar to our Vietnamese farm, the coffees are produced value-added in 'washed' processes. Lao coffees are sought for their clean, good bodied, neutral characters, resulting in unique coffee characteristics.
Coffee in Laos
Lao coffee shares a long history with its Vietnamese cousin, having both developed during the French occupation. Most coffee farms were located in Bolaven Plateau in the Southern Laos with its ideal environment for coffee trees. In the early stages, most coffee trees were only grown in the colonialist’s plantations, but local farmers living close to the plantations started to plant coffee in their gardens and gradually expand the coffee population.
Initially Robusta, Arabica and Liberica species were planted, but due to the Arabica leaf rust disease and low prices for Liberica, Robusta has become the dominant coffee species grown. At the same time, a new hybrid Arabica coffee, Catimor, was brought to Lao in a bid to stimulate the Arabica coffee industry. This Catimor variety of Arabica is resistant to the major disease of coffee leaf rust and replaced more traditional Arabica species.
The Lao coffee industry is still growing as Laos gains attention from many non-native farmers and international companies. Laos is at now beginning a major change in its coffee industry and has the potential to grow large amounts of high-quality Arabica coffee.