For years, coffee- and pepper-growing areas in Bờ Ngoong, Ia Tiêm, Kon Gang and Nam Yang struggled with low yields and poor quality due to reliance on traditional varieties and heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
“After just a few harvests, the trees declined rapidly and both yield and quality dropped sharply”, said Trần Quốc Hưng, Chairman of the Ia Ring Agricultural Production, Business and Service Cooperative.
Founded in 2017 with 40 members and 100 hectares, the Ia Ring cooperative turned a corner when the Institute of Strategy introduced a 30-hectare organic coffee model using synchronized techniques from fertilizing and irrigation to weeding and harvesting. Farmers trained directly in model gardens saw stronger, greener trees with higher, more stable yields.
The cooperative has since expanded to 500 members managing 600 hectares of sustainably grown coffee certified to 4C and RA export standards. Yields rose from 2-3 tonnes per hectare before 2019 to 5 tonnes in 2022, with some replanted gardens reaching 7 tonnes.
The Nam Yang Agricultural and Service Cooperative, established the same year, now has 130 members and more than 200 hectares under management, including over 30 hectares certified organic to US and European standards. Investments in modern processing have helped the cooperative secure national 5-star OCOP certification for its Fine Robusta coffee, Đăk Yang coffee and Lệ Chí organic pepper set in June 2025, enhancing access to demanding markets.
Ia Ring’s focus on organic farming includes sprinkler irrigation across all 600 hectares and training sessions teaching farmers to produce bio-fertilizers from manure, rice husks and local microbial inputs. Abundant water from Ia Ring Lake supports production even in the dry season, while remote households have drilled wells to ensure irrigation.
Organic methods have improved soil health, boosted microbial activity and reduced dependence on chemicals. Farmers report strong gains: household farmer Trần Minh Trí increased his 2.6-hectare yield from 6 tonnes to 13 tonnes in 2024, all meeting export standards. Another farmer, Nguyễn Văn Bình, harvested 18 tonnes from three hectares, earning profits of 1.2 billion VND (approx. USD 48,000).
The cooperatives’ coffee is purchased by major companies such as Vĩnh Hiệp, Sơn Huyền Phát and Ngọc Chương, which process the beans to meet international standards. This market linkage ensures stable purchasing and reduces farmer risk.
According to Bờ Ngoong Commune Chairman Nguyễn Hữu Tỵ, the partnership model linking farmers, cooperatives and businesses has raised incomes, lifted households out of poverty and strengthened local prosperity. The commune aims for all coffee areas to adopt organic cultivation and meet export standards.
In Kon Gang commune, local officials note that cooperatives play a crucial role in transferring technology to farmers, especially ethnic minority households. Joining cooperatives ensures training, stricter production processes and stable purchasing prices.
These partnerships have transformed farming practices, shifting producers from fragmented, experience-based cultivation to large-scale, standards-based and quality-driven agriculture. As a result, Tây Gia Lai’s coffee and pepper have gained stronger positions in domestic and international markets, laying the foundation for a major breakthrough in regional agricultural development.
With aligned strategies and community participation, Gia Lai farmers and cooperatives aim to push local coffee and pepper further into global markets, creating sustainable value for the region.
