The biennial event contributed to expanding and developing economic and trade partnership in coffee production, processing and export, said Y Dham Enuol, Standing Vice Chairman of the Dak Lak People’s Committee during the closing ceremony on March 12.

Outstanding businesses and farmers were honoured and the unique culture of Central Highlands ethnic minority groups was featured during the festival, he said.

Conferences reviewing the growth of the coffee sector also provided in-depth analysis on current realities of and prospects for the sector and suggested sustainable development strategies.

Various exhibitions were organised for the festival, highlighting the history of Buon Ma Thuot development and introducing high-quality coffee products to tens of thousands of visitors.

The four-day festival also created a playground for local farmers to host games and events, a highlight of which was an elephant race among ethnic minority mahouts.

With 203,000 hectares of coffee plants with an annual output of at least 450,000 tonnes of beans, Dak Lak is known as Vietnam’s coffee capital and features the famous Buon Ma Thuot brand.

In 2014, Viet Nam produced over 1.37 million tonnes of coffee, of which Dak Lak contributed over 450,000 tonnes.

Viet Nam is now the second largest coffee exporter in the world. The country shipped 1.73 million tonnes of coffee beans abroad in 2014, earning 3.62 billion USD in revenue.

The sixth Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival is scheduled to take place in 2017 in Buon Ma Thuot city.