New instant coffee plant in Vietnam.

Thai Hoa Production and Trading Co. Ltd., a leading coffee producer, is building a soluble coffee processing plant in Vietnam, confirming their entrance into the soluble market. Niro A/S of Denmark has been contracted to provide soluble coffee processing equipment. The plant is already under construction near the city of Delat in Lam Dong province. Nguyen Van An, Thai Hoa's owner, said that the plant ,was the first coffee processing plant in Vietnam to be located within a plantation helping to provide a regular income for the local farmers that is not so susceptible to the fluctuations in the market price for green beans seen in recent years.

The plant will open at the end of 2009 and will employ 250 local people in both skilled and unskilled roles.

At the same time An Giang Coffee, a subsidiary of Thai Hoa, signed a contract with Thang Long Securities providing authority to issue shareholding to the public and beginning the process of transferring the company from private to public ownership.