Coffee exporters eye Chinese market

Hanoi (VNA) - Vice president Doan Trieu Nhan of the Vietnam
Coffee-Cocoa Association (VICOFA) said that Vietnamese businesses have introduced instant coffee trademarked "VINACAFE" and "Trung Nguyen" in China , home to 1.3 billion people.

According to the exporters, Chinese people, especially the youth in big
cities, choose coffee for their drink. They appreciate Vietnam-made coffee
for various reasons, including its competitive price.

In Beijing , one sachet of instant coffee made in Vietnam is wholesaled
at between 2,000-3,000 VND in equivalence while a cup of coffee cost about
120,000 VND, they revealed.

Products of the VINACAFE Bien Hoa Joint Stock Company has been well known
in China 's Guangzhou and Nanning province. Its "VINACAFE" won the
heart of Chinese customers after passing a hard test in the country.

Phan Thanh, expert from the VINACAFE Bien Hoa Joint Stock Company, said
that at the annual ASEAN-China trade fair (Caexpo) held in China , his
company enjoyed big sale, peaking four tonnes in some days.

The Trung Nguyen Coffee Joint Stock Company also opened its first shop in
Nanning province in 2006.

Even though Vietnam 's coffee export to China is increasing sharply,
reaching 16,000 tonnes in the 2006-2007 harvest season, more than a double
of the 2000-2001 season. This figure did not include the cross-border
volume.

VCOFA President Luong Van Tu said that the world demand for coffee will
increase by 2 million of bags a year to around 140 million bags by 2018.
This is a good chance for Vietnam , a country with more than 500,000 ha
under coffee.-