Opening of the first Son La Coffee Festival in 2023.

Attending the opening ceremony were Comrade Vuong Dinh Hue - Politburo member, Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Comrade Tong Thi Phong, former Politburo member, former Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly; Comrade Bui Van Cuong, Party Central Committee member, Secretary General, Head of the National Assembly Office; Comrade Le Minh Hoan, Party Central Committee member, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; leaders and former leaders of the Party and State; members of the Party Central Committee, leaders of ministries, departments and central branches; National Assembly deputies and leaders of provinces and cities; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Lao PDR to Vietnam and the delegation of Hua Phan province (Lao PDR); organizations, business associations, industries, leaders of corporations, general companies, banks and Vietnamese enterprises.

 The Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam attended the Opening Ceremony.

On the side of Son La province, there were comrade Nguyen Huu Dong, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; comrades in the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial Party Committee; comrades in the Standing Committee of the People's Council, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province; leaders of departments, branches, sectors, organizations, armed forces, People's Committees of districts, cities, units, enterprises, cooperatives; leaders of delegations and localities participating in the Festival and people of all ethnic groups of Son La province and tourists from all over the country.

Comrade Nguyen Huu Dong delivered the opening speech at the first Son La Coffee Festival in 2023.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Festival, Mr. Nguyen Huu Dong emphasized: The first Son La Coffee Festival in 2023 is an important event, creating conditions for Son La province and the Northwestern provinces to introduce and promote Arabica coffee products; Honoring coffee growers, producers, processors and traders, contributing to the development of high-quality Arabica coffee growing areas, enhancing the value, affirming the position of Arabica coffee in the domestic and foreign markets; Aiming to achieve the goal of linking the provinces in the Northern midlands and mountainous areas in coffee production, processing and consumption; Making Son La province a center for processing agricultural products of the Northern midlands and mountainous areas. At the same time, attracting businesses to invest in processing factories, in order to increase product value, contributing to promoting the consumption and export of agricultural products of the province in general and Arabica coffee products in particular; Exploiting the potential and advantages of natural conditions in production, preliminary processing, processing, and consumption of high-tech coffee, protecting the environment and developing sustainably in the province...

Delegates attending the Opening Ceremony.

The locality has suitable climate and soil conditions for cultivating Arabica coffee. Since the late 1980s, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council and People's Committee have directed the implementation of the "Arabica Coffee Development Program". Through many ups and downs, with the efforts, attempts and creativity of coffee growers, the participation of the entire political system in the province, Arabica coffee has grown and developed well in the province; The coffee growing area has grown from 278 hectares in 1990 to over 20,000 hectares in 2023, accounting for 41.2% of the country's Arabica coffee area and is the province with the largest Arabica coffee growing area in the country, of which nearly 18,000 hectares have been certified for sustainability and equivalent, with an output of 204,000 tons of fresh fruit, the value of revenue from selling fresh fruit products is estimated at over 2,045 billion VND, and the export value is estimated at over 83 million USD.

A large number of ethnic people of Son La province attended the Opening Ceremony.

Up to now, the province has formed a number of specialized concentrated production areas, following the production, processing and consumption chain based on the application of science and technology, gradually meeting the needs of production, consumption and export; There are 02 coffee areas recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as high-tech agricultural areas, 01 geographical indication of Son La Coffee. Son La Coffee products have been exported to 20 markets in the EU, North America, the Middle East and ASEAN countries with stable consumption prices at a high level, contributing to increasing the income of coffee growers, creating more jobs, contributing to restructuring production towards increasing the value of coffee in Son La.

Comrade Le Minh Hoan spoke at the Opening Ceremony.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, comrade Le Minh Hoan, member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development emphasized: Today's event marks the 70-year journey of Son La coffee from a tree that improves livelihoods to a specialty brand that has reached the world, favored in many countries and territories. Son La coffee has always contributed positively to the overall development of the Vietnamese coffee industry. The Son La Coffee Festival is an opportunity for us to meet and exchange, continue to realize the sustainable development of the province's coffee industry, and an opportunity for us to send a message to the world, thinking of coffee is thinking of Vietnam. Enjoying Son La coffee is feeling the flavor of the Northwest mountains and forests.

Comrade Bui Van Cuong presented social security gifts to eliminate temporary housing for poor households in Son La province.

On this occasion, Comrade Vuong Dinh Hue - Politburo member, Chairman of the National Assembly and the National Assembly delegation visited and worked in Son La province. Also during the peak month for the poor in 2023, the Chairman of the National Assembly mobilized, collected donations and support from benefactors to support 100 social security gifts to eliminate temporary houses for poor households in Son La province.

Art program Opening ceremony of the first Son La Coffee Festival in 2023.

After the ceremony, the Opening Art Program of the first Son La Coffee Festival in 2023 took place, with the participation of over 700 professional and non-professional artists and actors. With the theme "Arabica Son La - Taste of the Northwest Mountains", the performances were elaborately and uniquely staged, imbued with the cultural identity of Son La - Northwest and praised and honored coffee beans and coffee growers, producers and processors.

Performances at the Opening Ceremony.

Closing the art program is the solidarity dance of the ethnic groups of Son La province and a special fireworks display, creating a special mark of the first Son La Coffee Festival in 2023.

The National Assembly Chairman participated in the solidarity dance.

Comrade Tong Thi Phong participated in the solidarity dance.

Solidarity dance of ethnic groups in Son La province.

Fireworks display closed the program.

Before the opening ceremony, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue visited the booths at the "Son La Coffee - Integration and Development" Exhibition Fair. With a scale of 100 booths displaying the province's socio-economic development achievements; Coffee products inside and outside the province; Tourism products; Safe agricultural products of Son La province and other provinces and cities; Products and spaces for creating images of processed coffee...

The National Assembly Chairman and delegates visited booths introducing coffee products.

Within the framework of the first Son La Coffee Festival in 2023, from October 20 to October 23, 2023, many meaningful activities will take place to promote Son La coffee, develop high-quality coffee, contributing to enhancing the value and affirming the position of Son La coffee in the domestic and foreign markets; Honoring coffee growers, producers, processors and traders, encouraging the community to join hands to foster the development of coffee culture in Son La province in particular and Vietnam in general. It is also an opportunity for Son La province to introduce a unique image of coffee culture, people, potentials, strengths and tourism of the province, creating an image of Son La as friendly and hospitable, attracting investors and tourists to Son La.

Le Hong - Quoc Tuan