Experimental coffee plants at the Western Highlands Agro-Forestry Scientific and Technical Institute (WASI). Harvesting coffee beans at Thang Loi Company. Harvested coffee before being husked. Drying coffee at the standard storehouse at Thang Loi Company. Coffee is processed using the wet processing method at Thang Loi Company. An early stage of the processing line at Tay Nguyen Coffee Import- Export and Investment Company Ltd. Drying coffee by modern technology at Tay Nguyen Coffee Import- Export and Investment Company Ltd. Working on a Japanese coffee-selecting machine. Roasting and tasting coffee to assess its quality. Checking the quality of coffee beans before delivery at Tay Nguyen Coffee Import-Export and Investment Company Ltd. At the packaging facility of Vinacafe Bien Hoa Company. In 2007, Vietnam ranked second in the world in exporting coffee with over 900,000 tonnes, earning nearly 1.86 billion USD. Among the agricultural products, coffee takes the lead in export turnover, surpassing rice, a key export. At present, Vietnam is well-known throughout the world as a powerful coffee exporter and the trademark of Vietnamese coffee has established a firm position on the world market. Dak Lak Province which is considered “the capital of coffee” accounts for about one third of the country’s coffee growing area. Before 1975, the Province had only about 12,000ha of coffee plants, but in early 2007 the area was estimated to be 174,000ha. For the 2006-2007 crop, the Province achieved an output of 435,000tonnes of coffee and earned an export turnover of over 479 million USD in 2007. We visited Thang Loi Coffee Company and witnessed the complete operation, from producing to packaging and shipping. The storage area covers thousands of square metres and holds tonnes of coffee beans. Not far away, a mountain of fresh ripe coffee was being processed using the wet processing method. According to Vu Dinh Noi, Head of the Technical Department, each year Thang Loi Company exports 5,000-5,500 tonnes of coffee, mainly to the Japanese market. This is a finicky market, so the Company knows only the highest quality product will be accepted. The Company has built a closed process, from production to processing to produce high quality products. The use of mineral fertilizers has been reduced, thus employing more organic fertilizers. At harvest time, 85% of ripe fruit and 12% of yellow fruit are picked. The processing of products is carried out by machines, using wet technology. To enhance competition, the Company has built a garden of clean coffee on an area of one hectare and a high-quality coffee powder processing plant with a capacity of over 200 tonnes a year and installed a coffee-bean processing operation with advanced equipment to increase the quality and competitiveness of products on the world market. Leaving Thang Loi Coffee Company, we visited Tay Nguyen Coffee Import-Export and Investment Company Ltd., whose Tay Nguyen Coffee trademark is called “King of Vietnamese coffee” by the people. In 2006, the Company’s market share of coffee export took the lead in the country, reaching an export turnover of over 208 million USD and about 300 million USD in 2007. The Company has expanded markets to more than 40 countries and territories. Its high quality coffee-beans for export cost 30-50 USD/tonne, higher than the common price. General Director Vu Duc Tie