A Brief History of Myanmar's Coffee Industry Why is Myanmar Coffee Cheap? Myanmar Coffee Brand Recommendations

Over the past few years, Myanmar has quietly stepped onto the international coffee stage, driven by cooperation between the Myanmar Agriculture Department, USAID, the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), and the country's own hardworking farmers. The industry is young — barely a century has passed since British missionaries planted the first coffee trees brought from Costa Rica — but it has already grown into a thriving business with substantial yields. OGS works closely with Myanmar's specialty coffee producers, supplying roasters with high-quality beans for customers who want to explore new or unfamiliar origins.

Few countries are bordered by such culturally diverse neighbors. Myanmar shares its western frontier with India, Bangladesh, and the Bay of Bengal; China, Laos, and Thailand lie to the east; the Himalayan mountains rise to the north; and the Andaman Sea washes the southern coast.

A Brief History of Myanmar Coffee

1885: British missionaries plant the first coffee trees in Myanmar.

1936: Myanmar exports 95 tons of coffee.

1952: The S-795 variety is introduced to the outskirts of Pyin Oo Lwin town in the Mandalay region.

1986: The Government of Myanmar (GOM) launches a national coffee cultivation program, importing T8667 and Catuai varieties from Costa Rica.

2015: With support from the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), Winrock International, and USAID, Myanmar holds its first national cupping competition in Yangon. Quality improves markedly, from cultivation through post-harvest processing.

2016: Myanmar coffee makes its debut at the SCAA annual conference in Atlanta, USA.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), northern Myanmar offers high-quality red soil plateaus and other soils above 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) that suit coffee cultivation, along with 1,500 to 2,500 centimeters (59 to 79 inches) of evenly distributed rainfall and the distinct dry seasons coffee needs — everything required to produce large volumes of high-quality Arabica.

Myanmar's Coffee Growing Environment

Growing top-quality coffee depends on several environmental factors working together: altitude and temperature, rainfall and water supply, soil, aspect, and slope.

Altitude

Because altitude shapes so many of the other variables, it should be weighed first — together with temperature, rainfall, water supply, soil, aspect, and slope — when judging whether a site is suitable for coffee.

Arabica must be grown above 1,000 meters; low-altitude Arabica simply cannot meet global market standards. Myanmar's estates and micro-farms typically sit between 1,100 and 2,200 meters, and in remote areas such as Chin and Kachin states coffee grows as high as 2,800 meters.

Temperature

Arabica prefers a cool climate. The ideal daily average temperature is between 20-24°C (68-75°F), and Pyin Oo Lwin averages 19.7°C (67.5°F) — close to perfect. Once temperatures climb past 30°C (86°F), photosynthesis in the coffee trees can stall; if averages fall below 15°C (59°F), growth is inhibited and coffee quality suffers. Because Arabica is highly vulnerable to frost, shade must be managed carefully to limit the risk.

Myanmar's Rainfall and Water Supply

The ideal rainfall for Arabica is 1,200 to 1,500 centimeters (47 to 60 inches) per year, and both the total amount and the way it is distributed through the year matter. Pyin Oo Lwin receives 1,400 centimeters (55 inches) annually.

Shade Trees

Estates across Myanmar commonly plant silver oak as a shade tree, and it does far more than break the wind. In dry spells, its canopy shields young coffee trees from drought stress and scorching sun. Shade also helps the trees keep a better balance through flowering and fruit development, and lowers the chance of frost damage. On top of that, fallen leaves and pruned branches from the silver oaks return organic matter and nutrients to the soil, steadily replenishing the micronutrients that keep it healthy.

Varieties

Several varieties have been trialed across Myanmar's main growing regions. Those currently cultivated at scale are SL-34, S795, Catuai, and T8667.

T8667

Country: Costa Rica

Growth Habit: Short

Cupping Quality: Good, with herbal and fruit skin aromas

Notes: Large fruit and coffee beans

S795

Country: India

Growth Habit: Tall, upright, and open

Cupping Quality: Excellent overall performance with mocha flavor

Notes: Large fruit

Catuai

Country: Brazil, between Mundo Novo and Caturra

Growth Habit: Short, dwarf plant

Cupping Quality: Excellent bean quality, good bean size

Notes: High-yield plant

SL-34

Country: Kenya (selected from French Mission)

Growth Habit: Tall, upright, and open

Cupping Quality: Known for excellent sweetness, balance, and complex acidity

Notes: Large fruit

Cultural Introduction

Most of Myanmar's coffee country is hilly, tribal land. The people who farm it have lived and worked these hills for generations, so they know the land instinctively and understand what it takes to get the best from it. And since so much of daily life revolves around the great temples, the simple rhythm of their lives seems to leave them cheerful and welcoming by nature.

Chemicals and Pesticides

Myanmar coffee is grown without chemicals or pesticides. Farmers fertilize naturally with manure from cattle and chickens, and they keep a close eye on the long-term health of their land. Southern Shan State in particular strictly bans the use of chemicals and pesticides altogether.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Myanmar's story is really the story of balanced, medium-roast Arabica — beans grown high, processed cleanly, and prized for harmony rather than extremes. If that profile appeals to you, two FrontStreet Coffee selections are worth a look. The Brazil Queen's Estate Yellow Bourbon is a medium roast with the gentle sweetness of cream, peanut, chocolate, toasted bread, and sugarcane — rounded and easy-drinking, with none of the harsh acid or bitterness that puts people off. For something with a touch more elegance, the FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is a classic Typica lot roasted medium so its acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and body blend seamlessly, unfolding into chocolate, roasted nuts, cream, and caramel. Both are forgiving brews that reward anyone exploring balanced single origins.