On April 26, 2026, held in Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak province, Vietnam, Vietnam Amazing Cup 2026 the final results of the competition were announced. In the Arabica category of this, the eighth edition, a producer from Gia Lai province, TAMBA Production and Service Company Limited (a family farm operating Bien Ho Coffee) scored 85.3 points to win the title. The regulars of Da Lat in Lam Dong province, long self-styled as an Arabica kingdom, by a mere 0.05 points it edged out, redrawing the map of production-region power in Vietnamese specialty coffee. With an Arabica champion emerging from Gia Lai province—known as a major Robusta region—the result also makes a review of region assessment necessary for Japanese industry buyers.
The originating news: TAMBA scores 85.3, shaking off Da Lat by 0.05 points
This competition, hosted by the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association, was judged in accordance with the international cupping standards of the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) and the CQI (Coffee Quality Institute). The final judging was led by international judges, and a winner was decided in each of the two categories.
The Arabica category winner was TAMBA Production and Service Company Limited of Gia Lai province. Its score was 85.3 points, and second place was 8RO Production, Trading and Service Joint Stock Company of Da Lat (Lam Dong province), at 85.25 points. The margin was a mere 0.05 points. Meanwhile, the Robusta category went to a producer in Lam Dong province, ANT BEE Coffee Company Limited and, of the same province, Nguyen Son Tung (Phuc Tho) who tied for the title at 85.94 points, with Bui Coffee Supply Company following at 85.88 points.
Deputy chairman Nguyen Thien Van said, 'After eight years, this competition functions as an authoritative benchmark showing the industry's quality and value, and has become an important source of data shaping international understanding of Vietnamese coffee, especially Robusta.' This time, 81 producers submitted 182 samples from Vietnam's seven main growing regions, with a total registered volume of 348 tonnes (Arabica 86 tonnes, Robusta 262 tonnes)。151 samples (83%) meeting the specialty standard (80 points or above) cleared it, making it the largest-scale and highest-level competition to date.
Background: a 30-year father-and-son, 200-ha family farm becomes the new benchmark for Central Highlands Arabica
Bien Ho Coffee, which operates TAMBA, traces back to a family farm that its founder, Luu Vinh Quang (the elder), established in Gia Lai province more than 30 years ago. His son Quang (the younger) has now taken over management, integrating everything from production to processing on a 200-ha agroforestry-style company farm where fruit trees are arranged as shade trees.
The farm Rainforest Alliance certification has already been obtained, and Organic certification is also in progress. Quang the younger states publicly that 'no chemical pesticides or herbicides are used, and the cultivation method was organic from the start,' and job creation in cooperation with the local ethnic-minority Jarai community is another feature. Quang the elder learned the Jarai language and maintained cultural engagement, and this background forms the foundation on which the family management and community-rooted operation are valued on both the quality and social axes.
Gia Lai province has traditionally a major Robusta region been known as such, and Arabica supply has depended heavily on neighboring Da Lat in Lam Dong province. But with large-scale farm entries such as HAGL (Hoang Anh Gia Lai), plus mid-sized family farms like TAMBA reaching the top under international standards, the region has entered a phase of expanding its portfolio. HAGL plans a 20,000-ha coffee farm by 2028 Combined with that, Gia Lai province is accelerating its shift into a dual 'Robusta + Arabica' region.
Award data at a glance: score, region, farm profile
| Category | Rank | Operator | Score | Growing region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabica | First place | TAMBA Production and Service Co., Ltd.（Bien Ho Coffee） | 85.30 | Gia Lai province |
| Arabica | Second place | 8RO Production, Trading and Service JSC | 85.25 | Lam Dong province (Da Lat) |
| Robusta | 1st place (tied) | ANT BEE Coffee Co., Ltd. (Tan Ha) | 85.94 | Lam Dong province |
| Robusta | 1st place (tied) | Nguyen Son Tung (Phuc Tho) | 85.94 | Lam Dong province |
| Robusta | Second place | Bui Coffee Supply Co., Ltd. (Nam Ban) | 85.88 | Lam Dong province |
The TAMBA farm 200 ha, agroforestry cultivation, fruit trees used as shade trees, Rainforest Alliance certification obtained. Its offered varieties include Robusta's 'Siêu Sao' (anaerobic fermentation / natural) and 'Jarai' (honey process), with a shipment record to Europe as well (via Germany's Cumpa). For this Arabica winning entry, the details of variety and processing method have not been officially disclosed by the organizers.
Industry reactions: three viewpoints—SCA-standard compliance, farmer, and buyer
The organizer side (Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association) Deputy chairman Nguyen Thien Van noted, 'This competition has evolved into a trustworthy industry benchmark. It has become an important milestone marking the shift from small-scale production to commercial scale.' Citing the high specialty-qualification rate of 83%, he positioned it as 'directly contributing to raising the international evaluation of Vietnamese coffee.'
The farmer side Here, TAMBA's Quang the younger told local media, 'What was recognized was the relationship of trust the previous generation built with the Jarai people and the accumulation of a farming method that uses no chemical pesticides.' Thirty years of accumulation carried on from the previous generation surfaced in the competition.
The buyer side Here, Germany's Cumpa, a European specialty specialist, has already begun handling TAMBA. The company introduces TAMBA as 'a representative Central Highlands family farm that reconciles sustainability and quality control,' and it has already won trust in the European market. This competition win becomes a formal motivation to source TAMBA for specialty buyers across Asia, including Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
Impact on Japanese specialty buyers: positioning as a candidate supply source
In Japan's specialty-coffee market, Vietnamese product is shedding the image of 'cheap Robusta raw material,' and Da Lat Arabica has been evaluated ahead of the rest. With this TAMBA win, there are three changes Japanese roasters and wholesalers should grasp.
- More options for diversifying regions: Gia Lai province has joined as a formal option in Arabica sourcing that had concentrated solely on Lam Dong
- Family-farm traceability: With a 200-ha company farm and integrated processing, TAMBA can sell a story as single-origin beans
- Certification status: The setup of having obtained Rainforest Alliance and applying for Organic suits Japanese roasters for whom a sustainability pitch is essential
Structural change in the Vietnamese coffee industry is already advancing from several angles in the Japanese market, and the shrinking coffee supply as Central Highlands farmers switch to durian in parallel, the quality upgrading of the remaining producers is advancing. Japanese buyers will face real demand to shift to a 'quality over quantity' sourcing strategy.
Ripple to the industry: redefining the Da Lat brand and the Gia Lai region battle
A score gap of 0.05 points is a close contest that one could call within the margin of error in the world of evaluation, but its message is large. The status of 'the capital of Vietnamese Arabica' that Da Lat (Lam Dong) has long held has come to be relativized by the rise of Gia Lai province forces. The Da Lat brand has functioned as a domestic premium-region brand alongside tourism, farm produce and flowers, but for Arabica coffee, a multi-axis structure of 'Gia Lai running alongside Da Lat' is likely to take hold going forward.
In the Robusta category, Lam Dong province forces continue to monopolize the top spots, and 'Robusta = Lam Dong dominance / Arabica = Gia Lai rise'—a new regional division of labor has come into view. Read together with HAGL's 20,000-ha farm plan, Gia Lai province is likely to establish a distinctive position of 'Arabica × coexistence of large-scale and family farms,' and the clustering of export infrastructure, logistics and warehousing functions is expected to follow.
Practical information: TAMBA farm profile and purchase routes
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Business name | TAMBA Production and Service Co., Ltd. (operates Bien Ho Coffee) |
| Founder | Luu Vinh Quang (the elder, founded over 30 years ago) |
| Location | Gia Lai province, Vietnam (Central Highlands) |
| Farm size | 200 ha (family-run, integrated in-house management) |
| Cultivation method | Agroforestry (fruit trees used as shade trees) / no chemical pesticides or herbicides |
| Certification | Rainforest Alliance obtained / Organic in progress |
| Main varieties and processing methods | Robusta 'Siêu Sao' (anaerobic fermentation, natural) / 'Jarai' (honey process) / Arabica (winning lot details undisclosed) |
| Main sales channels | Europe (via Germany's Cumpa) / inquiries from Asia expected to expand after the 2026 competition |
| Regional cooperation | Long-term cooperation with the Jarai (ethnic-minority) community / a training center under construction |
If a Japanese roaster or wholesaler wants to evaluate TAMBA coffee at this point, obtaining samples via a European distributor (such as Cumpa) or contacting Bien Ho Coffee via a local Vietnamese trading house are the realistic routes. Because the winning lot itself is limited in quantity, securing the 2026 crop early is desirable.
Summary: from 'Vietnam, the country of Robusta' to 'the country of family-farm Arabica'
TAMBA of Gia Lai province winning the Arabica category of the Vietnam Amazing Cup 2026 carries meaning beyond a single competition win. It shows that Gia Lai's image as a major Robusta region is being overwritten and that 'story-type specialty'—family management, certification and ethnic-minority community cooperation—is becoming a standard that holds up on the international stage. Japanese industry players are at the timing to review an Arabica sourcing strategy that leaned solely on Lam Dong and begin preliminary research into the Gia Lai region. Gia Lai province becoming a main production region for passion fruit Alongside that, the current situation in which the province is shifting its position toward 'the core of premiumizing Vietnamese farm produce' is a signal that prompts a reshuffling of the entire regional portfolio.
Sources
- Nhan Dan Online, 'Winners of Viet Nam Amazing Cup 2026 announced' (April 26, 2026): https://en.nhandan.vn/winners-of-viet-nam-amazing-cup-2026-announced-post161549.html
- VietnamPlus「Vietnam Amazing Cup 2026 reinforces quality benchmark for specialty coffee sector」：https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-amazing-cup-2026-reinforces-quality-benchmark-for-specialty-coffee-sector-post341837.vnp
- Cumpa GmbH「Origin Story: Tamba Coffee, Gia Lai」：https://www.cumpa.de/en/origin-story/tamba-coffee-gia-lai/
