The opening ceremony of the 9th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival.

In her opening speech, Huynh Thi Chien Hoa, Deputy Secretary of the Dak Lak Party Committee, noted that after eight editions, the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival has truly become a festival to honour those who grow, produce, process, trade and export coffee.

Through the festival, Dak Lak Province wishes to introduce domestic and international friends to the magnificent natural scenery of the highlands, the diverse and unique cultural heritage of local ethnic communities, and to continue extending the reach of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee brand.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasised that coffee is one of Vietnam's key agricultural products, playing an important role in the country's economic and social development.

In 2024, Vietnam's coffee exports exceeded 5 billion USD for the first time, continuing to affirm its position as the world's second-largest coffee supplier, after Brazil. Within Vietnam, Dak Lak is the country's "coffee capital", contributing approximately 18% of the nation's coffee export value.

The Deputy PM also noted that despite many encouraging achievements, the Vietnamese coffee industry still faces significant challenges.

In the coming period, he suggested that coffee growers and businesses need to build sustainable management systems from production and processing to export, and should continue to improve product quality, transitioning to organic and sustainable agricultural production models.

At the ceremony, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism presented Dak Lak Province with a national intangible cultural heritage certificate for the knowledge of coffee growing and processing.

Following the opening ceremony, a spectacular arts programme took place featuring more than 1,500 professional and amateur artists, singers, beauty queens, models and performers from Ho Chi Minh City and Dak Lak Province.

The programme concluded with a special fireworks display celebrating the 9th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival and commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Buon Ma Thuot Victory and the liberation of Dak Lak Province.

The 9th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival will last until March 13 in Buon Ma Thuot City and several other locations throughout the province.