The event organisers announced and honoured the best entries on April 26 following a rigorous, internationally aligned evaluation process.

Now in its eighth edition since 2019, the annual competition is organised by the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association under the direction of the Dak Lak provincial People’s Committee. It continues to serve as a key platform for discovering, assessing, and promoting Vietnam’s specialty coffee.

This year’s contest recorded its largest scale to date, attracting 182 entries from 81 producers across seven key growing regions, including Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Son La, Quang Tri, Quang Ngai, and Dong Nai. Registered output reached 348 tonnes, comprising 86 tonnes of Arabica and 262 tonnes of Robusta, with some individual lots as large as 50 tonnes.

The figures highlight a notable shift in Vietnam’s specialty coffee segment from small-scale production to commercially viable volumes capable of meeting both domestic and international demand. After multiple evaluation rounds, 151 samples – or 83% – met specialty coffee standards.

All entries were assessed under protocols set by the Specialty Coffee Association and the Coffee Quality Institute. From the initial pool, 164 samples advanced to the preliminary round, judged by a panel of 13 experts, including both domestic and international specialists. A total of 44 outstanding samples – 19 Arabica and 25 Robusta – progressed to the final round, evaluated by a 12-member jury with a majority of international judges.

The judging process adhered strictly to principles of independence, objectivity, and transparency, covering coding, roasting, cupping, and scoring through specialised software under close technical supervision.

In the Robusta category, two entries shared the top prize with identical scores of 85.94: Ant Bee Tea & Coffee Co., Ltd. and producer Nguyen Son Tung, both from Lam Dong. Bui Coffee Supply Co., Ltd., also based in Lam Dong, secured third place with 85.88 points.

For Arabica, Tamba Production and Services Co., Ltd. from Gia Lai won first prize with 85.3 points, followed by 8RO Production-Trade-Service JSC (Lam Dong) and Aeroco Coffee Co., Ltd. (Dak Lak).

According to Chairman of the association and head of the organising board Trinh Duc Minh, the competition’s greatest value lies not in rankings but in strengthening producers’ confidence in pursuing high-quality coffee.

Vice Chairman of the Dak Lak provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thien Van emphasised that after eight years, the competition has evolved into a credible yardstick for the sector. Beyond output, Vietnam is demonstrating its capacity to produce world-class coffee, particularly Robusta, thereby reshaping global perceptions and elevating the value of its coffee on international markets.

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