Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/949203
44 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 1, 2018 (February / March) They've Smelled The Coffee! 3 Warehouses Houston Oakland New Jersey From 1 Bag to Containers 2900 Wilcrest Dr. Suite 200 Houston, TX 77042 (713)780-7050 Cl and Mica Walk www.walkercoffee.com trading@walkercoffee.com ORDER YOUR SAMPLES TODAY! Production of soluble coffee is on the rise in Vietnam. Domestic sales of instant coffee are expected to grow by 7% this year, thanks to busier lifestyles and longer working hours. In 2016, ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee sales grew by 4% in retail volume. Attractive advertisements helped peak curiosity, especially among the young- er generation. Young urban dwellers from mid to high-income groups have been key contributors to RTD sales growth. Instant coffee still drives Vietnam's export market, as most of Vietnam's robusta disappears into branded soluble powders. Growth for instant coffee is projected at 13.6% between 2018 and 2021, and we're expected to see more in- vestments in companies exporting to the Chinese market, according to the US De- partment of Agriculture. Lack of brand recognition and limited marketing skills of exporters have been issues for Vietnam in the past, result- ing in lower export prices, according to a National Export Potential Assessment Report in 2014. But producers are now focused on adding more value to prod- ucts in-country. Industry leaders like Dang Le Nguy- en, president of Vietnamese coffee giant Cultivation is intense with acreage irrigated under full sun to deliver maximum yield coffee with large quantities of cereals and other beans, adding chemicals to create a coffee taste. Distributors like Smith have said the issue hasn't affected his business, and believe it isn't as far reaching as some fear. "We get the whole bean version of these coffees, and we can brew them side by side with the ground version, and usually they're pretty similar," said Smith. But he did add that being prudent in checking your purchases is important when dealing with certain distributors. "If you're not thoroughly checking what you're buy- ing, they might not feel obliged to give you the best quality," he said.