In Cư M’Gar District (Đắk Lắk Province)—where coffee accounts for over 70% of annual agricultural output—local farmers are pioneering a cost-effective strategy to rejuvenate aging coffee plantations. By top-grafting selected high-yield Robusta clones, the district has achieved higher economic returns than traditional replanting, setting a model for sustainable coffee development.
Rejuvenation Plan and Goals
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According to the district’s plan:
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By 2015, virtually all coffee gardens will be rejuvenated, so 100% of plantation area consists of young, high-yield trees.
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These plantations will feature top-performing cloned varieties with stable, high yields, securing production and improving livelihoods for local ethnic minority farmers.
The Challenge: Aging Coffee Plantations
Cư M’Gar has more than 30,000 hectares of producing coffee, but about one-third of the trees are old Robusta plants at the end of their economic cycle, giving low yields.
To address this, the district partnered with the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute to establish over 1,000 m² of budwood gardens featuring five selected high-yield Robusta lines:
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TR4
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TR5
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TR6
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TR7
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TR8
Advantages of High-Yield Robusta Clones
These Robusta clones offer multiple benefits:
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4–5 tons of green coffee beans per hectare
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Large bean size and high export quality
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Strong resistance to coffee leaf rust
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Uniform ripening
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Excellent adaptation to the local climate and soils
Training and Demonstration Models
The district has:
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Set up demonstration models of the rejuvenation process.
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Organized farmer training covering every step:
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Selecting varieties
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Top-grafting methods
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Orchard management
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Pest and disease control
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Fertilization techniques
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Economic Efficiency: Grafting vs. Replanting
According to the district People’s Committee, rejuvenating old Robusta plantations through top-grafting:
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Costs far less than complete replanting.
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Produces higher and more stable yields.
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Brings plantations back into production sooner.
Proven Results
More than 3,000 hectares of coffee belonging to ethnic minority households in communes such as:
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Quảng Phú
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Ea Pốk
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Ea Kiết
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Quảng Hiệp
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Ea H’đing
…have, just three years after top-grafting, achieved yields of 3.4–4 tons of green coffee per hectare.
Scaling Up for Sustainable Development
Building on Cư M’Gar’s success, Đắk Lắk Province is now expanding this coffee rejuvenation model to other aging plantations, aiming to:
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Ensure long-term sustainability, and
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Increase incomes for coffee growers across the region.
Cư M’Gar’s pioneering approach to Robusta coffee rejuvenation demonstrates that top-grafting high-yield clones is an efficient, sustainable alternative to complete replanting. With its ability to restore productivity quickly and boost farmers’ incomes, this model provides a blueprint for the future of Vietnam’s coffee industry.