VIETNAM COFFEE FARMERS SECURE LIVELIHOODS UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE|越南咖啡減產 新品種.節水灌溉抗天災

Vietnam is the world's second largest coffee producer after Brazil. but, this year its coffee output is expected to fall, because drought and heavy downpours have severely impacted yields and bean quality. As a result, farmers and researchers have begun to future-proof their crops. Le Van Huong regularly checks the coffee beans stored in bags at his home. He's afraid his two tonnes of beans may go bad if they are left to sit too long. Since the harvest ended in January, Le has only been able to sell half of the crop yield. The rest is difficult to trade because of its poor quality. Many beans are black or dark brown, instead of the typical pale green of raw coffee. This is because of unusual weather during the growing season. == LE VAN HUONG Vietnamese coffee farmer == Last year, the El Nino hit at the time when the coffee cherries needed water most to develop. Then came unusual rain. Not only did the coffee output drop by half, the quality of the coffee beans was also affected. Last year, there was a swing from El Nino to La Nina conditions with unseasonal downpours after drought. Le has grown coffee on a two hectare plantation for over 20 years in the Central Highlands around Buon Ma Thuot city, the country's coffee capital. On an average year, he harvests about seven tonnes of dried coffee beans. That earns him about US$11,000 dollars. This year, however, he cannot make it. Like Le, the livelihoods of thousands of Vietnamese coffee farmers are threatened by the extreme weather. Steps are being made to tackle the problem. == BUI QUANG VINH agricultural engineer== It uses a small sprinkler to water around the plant in a radius of about one metre. We use a network of rubber pipes running along the rows and have the softer pipes like this one bring the sprinklers to every single plants. A more efficient irrigating system by splitting watering times is applied. Farmers and researchers are also seeking a new breed of coffee that is more resilient to precipitation changes. Vietnam's leading coffee company calls for the government to help ensure the industry's long term future. == LE HOANG DIEP THAO CEO of TNI Coffee Company== We urge the government and related offices to take action (to cope with climate changes) to protect Vietnamese coffee. Vietnam is the world largest exporter of robusta beans, which is mainly used for instant coffee production. However, export-oriented coffee cultivation has caused environmental problems such as deforestation, soil erosion and over-extraction of water. TRANSLATED BY：SASHA CHIU