Son La has more than 33,000 hectares of Arabica coffee, with an output of over 250,000 tons of fresh fruit/year.
Entering the 2026-2027 crop year, purchasing and processing activities increase, leading to the risk of pollution from wastewater, residue and solid waste.
Faced with that situation, the Son La Department of Agriculture and Environment issued Official Dispatch No. 4948 requesting localities, units and processing facilities to strengthen environmental protection and water sources before, during and after the new crop year.
Communes and wards review all coffee purchasing, preliminary processing, and processing facilities; assess output, capacity, raw material sources, legal documents and environmental protection works.
The focus is on checking the wastewater collection and treatment system, reservoirs, flow meters, water use and reusable capacity.
The facility is only allowed to operate when there are sufficient environmental procedures, and there are appropriate waste collection, storage, and treatment facilities. Localities must summarize and send information to the Department of Agriculture and Environment before September 8, 2026.
For industrial-scale processing facilities, businesses must develop a crop plan, determine operating time, capacity and raw material area; gradually upgrade the production line, apply energy-saving technology, and reduce waste.
The whole province currently has nearly 28 enterprises and cooperatives participating in coffee production, preliminary processing and processing, of which 26 establishments focus on deep processing, 2 establishments produce seeds and supply input materials.
In Muoi Noi commune, Cat Que Production and Trading Co., Ltd. purchases and processes about 50-80 tons of fresh coffee fruit every day.
Mr. Pham Tien - Manager of the coffee production factory in Muoi Noi commune - said that the enterprise mainly purchases through agents. Coffee in the early days of the season is still in small quantities, the price is fluctuating at 12,000-13,000 VND/kg. The enterprise has prepared capital, vehicles, machinery and warehouses, ready to enter the new crop year.
However, along with increased processing output, the risk of wastewater, coffee grounds and solid waste is increasing.
In the 2025-2026 crop year, a coffee preliminary processing facility in Mat village, Chieng Mung commune was fined 418.5 million VND by Son La Provincial Police, and suspended from operation for 4 months and 15 days.
From this reality, processing facilities are required to operate at registered capacity, ensure waste treatment facilities, and at the same time gradually upgrade production lines and equipment, save energy and reduce waste generation.
Besides large facilities, coffee preliminary processing activities at households still pose a risk of pollution if wastewater, fruit peels, and coffee grounds are not collected and treated in accordance with regulations.
In Chieng An ward and Muoi Noi commune, the Hoc stream flows through and flows into Tham Tat Tong cave, an area related to the water source supplied to Son La Water Supply Plant No. 1.
Mr. Nghiem Van Tuan - Chairman of Chieng An Ward People's Committee - said that he will strengthen inspection and treatment of wastewater and waste at coffee establishments, resolutely not allowing wastewater and coffee grounds to be discharged directly into streams, affecting domestic water sources.
Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung - Deputy Director of Son La Department of Agriculture and Environment - affirmed that it is strictly forbidden to discharge untreated production wastewater into the environment; the locality must be responsible if pollution occurs.
Tightening control from the beginning of the crop year aims to ensure stable coffee production, while protecting water sources, the environment and towards sustainable development.
