Việt Nam exported its first batch of organic coffee beans to Japan on March 19.

Vĩnh Hiệp Company Limited in Gia Lai Province officially exported around 40 tonnes of the product to Japan, a demanding market.

Thái Như Hiệp, deputy chairman of the Việt Nam Coffee – Cocoa Association (VICOFA) and director of Vĩnh Hiệp Company Limited, said that despite their high potential, organic coffee beans in Việt Nam account for only around 2 per cent in the world’s output, since many Vietnamese farmers are used to traditional farming methods and use chemical fertilisers.

The company has been working with farmers to enhance the value of coffee crops, and in 2016 it invested to transform 42ha of traditional coffee farms into organic coffee farms that follow US Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards.

The company spent the last two years negotiating with Japanese businesses.

The first shipment was officially exported to Japan at price 35 per cent higher than that of other coffee bean products.

The successful export of the beans will create opportunities to grow the company’s organic coffee product in Japan in the future.

It intends to extend to other markets in Asian countries and the US following its success in Japan.

Viet Nam News