Instant Coffee Demand Brings Vietnam Up the Caffeine Value Chain
This picture taken on March 28, 2012 shows employees working at the newly opened 100 million USD instant coffee factory of the Trung Nguyen Coffee Group in the northern province of Bac Giang. Specialised in producing its popular G7 instant coffee brand, the factory is the fifth one built in Vietnam by Trung Nguyen, the country's largest coffee producer. A world's leading coffee producer, Vietnam exports more than 1.2 million tons of coffee each year. AFP PHOTO / HOANG DINH Nam (Photo credit should read HOANG DINH NAM/AFP/Getty Images)
Photographer: HOANG DINH NAM/AFP/Getty ImagesThe mantle of biggest robusta grower isn’t enough for Vietnam. It wants to be known as an instant coffee maker, stocking tins and jars on shelves across the world.
Nestle SA and Olam International Ltd. have already invested in coffee-processing facilities in the country to tap into surging instant-coffee demand as Vietnam seeks to boost export earnings by shipping more processed products. About 15 percent of its total output will be used to make the soluble variety by 2020, about three times the current level, according to the Agriculture Ministry.