Background
High quality coffee exports from China are set to receive a boost as Volcafe, a leading international coffee trader, launches a procurement and processing joint venture in the southern province of ica coffee production from Yunnan has been growing steadily over the past decade, and its quality has improved to the levels equivalent to Central American beans, say zerland-based Volcafe, which is part of commodities trader ED & F Man, has been exporting Chinese arabica coffee, used in high quality blends, for the past 10 years, and it will become the first international trader to have a local presence through its joint venturewith Simao Arabicasm Coffee Company, a Yunnan coffee company.
“Chinese mild arabica is still relatively new to the world coffee scene, but its improving consistency means it is rapidly growing in acceptance with global roasters,” said Jan Kees van der Wild, global head of commodities at ED & F lé has been involved in the Chinese coffee farming industry since the late 1980s, investing in the sector alongside the Chinese government and the United Nations Development e then, Starbucks opened a processing mill and a farmer support centre, providing technical assistance to ee was first planted in Yunnan, more famous for its tea, in the late 19th century by European missionaries. However, coffee drinking in China has tended to centre around instant coffee made from lower quality robusta beans.
China produces more than 1m 60kg bags of arabica coffee – almost as much as Costa Rica and about a 10th of Colombia’s output – and most of it is Furniss, Volcafe’s business development director for Asia, said European roasters have been buyers of Yunnan coffee, especially at times of dips in Central American recent fall in Colombian output due to leaf rust disease spurred imports of Chinese coffee. “It has become a regular component of the roasters’ blends,” he said.