Gia Lai Province, with about 80,000 hectares of coffee, requires a massive supply of irrigation water every dry season to ensure flowering and fruit set for the next crop. Traditionally, growers relied on flood irrigation, a method that consumed huge amounts of water and threatened long-term sustainability.
Traditional Flood Irrigation: High Water Use and Soil Nutrient Loss
Table of Contents
For decades, farmers dug channels around coffee plots and allowed water to flow freely day and night around the tree bases.
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Water consumption: 4,500–5,000 m³ per hectare per irrigation cycle.
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Drawbacks:
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Leached away fertilizer and nutrients.
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Negatively affected plant growth.
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Rapidly depleted rivers and irrigation reservoirs, causing serious water shortages in drought years.
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Shift to Motor-Pump Irrigation
Modern Water Management
In recent years, after the coffee harvest, the traditional flood method has largely been replaced. Farmers now use motorized pumps to deliver a controlled amount of water directly to the base of each coffee tree.
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Water savings: Water use drops to 2,400–2,500 m³ per hectare, about half the volume required by the old flood-irrigation practice.
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Fertilizer efficiency: Nutrients remain concentrated around each root zone, improving coffee tree health and yield potential.
Widespread Adoption
Recognizing the economic and environmental benefits, most commercial coffee farms in Gia Lai have invested in high-capacity pumps to intensify production and increase yields.
Support for Ethnic Minority Farmers
According to Hồ Trí Thế, Head of the Water Management Department of the Gia Lai Provincial Irrigation Works Company:
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In the current irrigation season, the company contributed 50 million VND and, together with district funds, purchased 10 motorized pumps.
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These pumps were provided to 10 poor ethnic minority households in Ia Sao Commune (Chư Păh District) to help them irrigate their coffee crops and improve livelihoods.
Conclusion
The transition from flood irrigation to motor-pump irrigation is transforming coffee production in Gia Lai Province. By cutting water use in half, reducing nutrient loss, and supporting smallholder farmers, this modern approach promotes sustainable coffee farming and higher economic returns while protecting the region’s water resources.