The coconut water market is worth around USD 1 billion/year and grows around 30% annually, mainly through bottled, canned, and carton products… By applying technology to increase value, Hamona's coconuts serve not only the domestic market but also win over customers in demanding countries such as the US and Japan…
The potential of Vietnamese agriculture
Hamona's owner is Nguyễn Hoàng Long, who majored in Economic Development at Hanoi's National Economics University. He was fortunate to discover his passion and choose the right path—developing food technology—very early.
Nguyễn Hoàng Long and Colleagues
“The value of the coconut market, if fully measured, could be three times the figure of USD 1 billion,” revealed Nguyễn Hoàng Long, CEO of Hamona Co., Ltd. As he spoke about the industry's potential, his passion seemed to ignite and light up his face. According to Hoàng Long, Vietnamese coconuts are highly regarded worldwide for their quality, but post-harvest technology remains an obstacle and the supply chain is fragmented, so the market has yet to reach its true value.
Long’s secret to making a coconut more valuable was to make it look unusual and eye-catching, and biotechnology was the answer. ‘Technology lets Hamona coconuts retain their natural flavor without preservatives or processing. Technically, a fresh Hamona coconut is still a natural fruit, “breathing” and “living” just like any coconut on a tree,’ Long proudly said.
The first impression of a Hamona coconut is its convenience: it fits neatly in the palm, with the husk and fibers cleanly removed, leaving a smooth, polished surface. To enjoy the coconut water, users simply insert a straw into an ‘eye.’ Since the outer husk has been removed, getting to the flesh also takes only a few simple steps.
Hamona's owner said that all Hamona coconuts are trimmed by hand by professionally trained artisans from the coconut-growing region. ‘My ultimate aim in investing in agriculture is not only to enrich myself but also to raise the value of Vietnamese agricultural produce and enable farmers to develop sustainably,’ he shared.
For this reason, Hamona's headquarters are in Tiền Giang, a central location from which it can bring together raw materials from more than 300 farming households in Tiền Giang, Bến Tre, Trà Vinh, and Vĩnh Long provinces.
By partnering with Hamona, farmers receive cultivation techniques to ensure clean raw materials. Growing and harvesting are tightly controlled: by accessing the QR code on a product label, consumers can learn about the grower, coconut tree and orchard…
‘The trend toward food traceability has gradually become widespread, especially in developed countries. Consumers now demand product transparency, and entrepreneurs seeking to export to global markets must pay attention to this. If they compete on price alone, Vietnamese businesses will struggle to build an advantage,’ Long explained.
This approach benefits not only Hamona, helping it win over international customers, but also its partner farmers, whose incomes rise by 30–50% because they can sell coconuts at high, stable prices and confidently invest in production.
Opening more paths for young people
Hamona is an abbreviation of “Harmony with Mother Nature.” After a long period of pursuing the idea, calculating and experimenting, Nguyễn Hoàng Long did not officially launch Hamona until 2013. Long said it took him a long time because he had to learn as he went, making mistakes and correcting them step by step. The more he learned, the more he saw that Vietnam had abundant agricultural produce, but most of it was still exploited in raw form, mainly as ingredients, and needed technology to increase its value.
Vinamit and Trung Nguyên… are brands that do this well. ‘People still think production technology must come first, but I do the reverse: research the market, then commission technology researchers to create the tools to meet its needs,’ Long said.
Having created the product he wanted, Nguyễn Hoàng Long's greatest challenge was building the supply chain. Winning consumers over required many factors: harvesting at the right age, planting the right varieties, using proper transport methods, and having a distribution system…
In the Early Days, Long Personally Sold Coconuts Around District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, and Outside Supermarkets. He Calls That the Most Useful Period.
Only by meeting customers directly and listening to their needs could Long improve the product and develop Hamona into what it is today. Hamona fresh coconuts are now available at chains such as An Nam Gourmet, Citimart, and Linh Fruit, selling more than 1.000 coconuts daily and exporting to the United States, Japan…
However, production capacity still cannot meet market demand. Long and his colleagues continue searching for solutions. In 2016, Hamona aims to accelerate, first needing participation from 1,000 households to supply enough raw materials.
In Long's assessment, the global food market constantly changes, creating substantial opportunities for Vietnamese entrepreneurs, most of whom are farmers. Beyond that, attracting investment funds for agriculture is also quite easy.
Hamona also gained more opportunities to grow thanks to Long’s active participation in forums entrepreneurship, international organizations' business support programs… Hamona will soon raise a second funding round for its development plans. He openly shared his strategy: “After coconuts, Hamona will try other agricultural products.”
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