Arabica coffee farming thriving on international demand

Farmers engaged in highland coffee (Arabica) plantations are prospering as speciality coffee swells in handsome amounts of foreign income.
The trade volume of coffee, which is a major crop in over 70 countries, is estimated at nine billion kilogrammes annually. Myanmar’s coffee production has grown to over 9,000 tonnes, comprising over 2,000 tonnes of low-land Robusta coffee beans and over 7,000 tonnes of Arabica coffee, according to the Myanmar Coffee Association.
Myanmar’s coffee beans are shipped to Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, China, Thailand, the US, the UK, Island, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Germany and the UAE. About 1,100 tonnes of coffee beans were exported in the 2021-2022 financial year.
The cash crop coffee plantation is commonly found in PyinOoLwin, Ywangan, Hopong and Pinlaung areas in Myanmar, with a yield rate of over 9,000 tonnes. Of them, 1,500-1,700 tonnes are shipped to foreign countries.
Speciality coffee fetches a good price in the international market, Union Minister U Min Naung of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation mentioned during the Union government meeting held on 29 September.
The coffee bean, instant coffee mix and coffee powder are also imported into the country. About 1,250 tonnes of coffee mix and 4,500 tonnes of coffee powder were recently brought into the country, Myanmar Customs’ statistics showed. — TWA/KK