Low Prices of Catimor Coffee Beans - Can Honey Processing Save Yunnan Coffee?

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The Rise of Yunnan Coffee: From Commercial Crop to Specialty Gem

Catimor coffee beans honey processed, Catimor red wine natural, Catimor anaerobic fermentation... Yunnan Catimor coffee has achieved increasingly impressive results in green bean processing, but why have the acquisition prices for Yunnan green beans hit record lows year after year?

When mentioning Yunnan's Pu'er region, tea might be the first thing that comes to mind. However, little known is the fact that coffee produced in this Pu'er area has already gained some recognition in Asia. As early as the 1990s, large commercial brands like Nestlé began extensively using Yunnan coffee, but it wasn't until recent years that local high-quality specialty coffee truly began to flourish.

In 1955, Yunnan agricultural pioneers began introducing and trial-planting coffee, marking the starting point of Yunnan coffee after the founding of New China. Therefore, Yunnan Agricultural Reclamation has comprehensive planning for the rise and growth of Yunnan coffee. Chi Zhonghua stated that in terms of regional layout, they hope to break the current "four vertical and five horizontal" pattern of coffee planting and production enterprises. Using capital as a link, they will cooperate with high-quality coffee enterprises throughout the province to jointly build the overall brand image of "Yunnan Coffee." Meanwhile, through coffee trade, they will construct a Southeast Asian coffee industry circle based on "Yunnan-Laos-Vietnam" that radiates to countries like Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, forming an industrial development pattern dominated by high value-added products and brand trade.

Is Yunnan Arabica Coffee Considered Specialty Coffee?

The fundamental question is: can current Yunnan coffee be sold as specialty coffee? The flavor of specialty coffee is a comprehensive factor, which is the combined expression of variety, terroir, and roasting. As mentioned earlier, it must be consistent, stable, and natural.

If Yunnan coffee still primarily uses the Catimor coffee bean seedlings provided by Nestlé at that time for production, and Yunnan sent some beans to be scored by American specialty coffee, which actually lack representativeness—specialty coffee has a necessary condition: long-term stability. This could be said to be the Achilles' heel of current Yunnan coffee varieties.

The inconsistent quality of coffee harvesting and processing is the main factor directly affecting the quality of Chinese Yunnan coffee, but it is also a technical aspect that can be quickly improved. Experts believe that the Chinese Yunnan coffee industry has a weak foundation, poor varieties, and deficiencies in fine management. Its path forward is at best lower-level commercial beans. Even in years when global coffee harvests are poor, they can at most substitute as base beans for some Central and South American coffees.

Nowadays, many varieties can be found in Yunnan, such as Yellow Bourbon, Catuai, and even Geisha. Of course, local rust-resistant varieties like Catimor P4, PE, etc., still account for over 90%, while others rarely achieve mass production. The path toward specialty coffee in Yunnan is an unstoppable development trend, and we are happy to share our thoughts. Natural environment and coffee varieties are aspects that should only be considered for a long time in the future:

Development Strategy

1. Establish modern agricultural estates, introduce "Arabica" specialty coffee varieties, and implement estate-style specialized cultivation of specialty coffee varieties with strict management in seedling selection, cultivation techniques, and production methods.

2. Continuously explore market demands, focusing on specialty coffee varieties for production and processing—modern agricultural estates integrating harvesting, coffee processing, tasting, appreciation, and exhibition and sales experiences.

3. Establish specialty coffee centers for research, striving to reduce costs and radiate to surrounding coffee farmers, enabling more farmers to grow high-quality coffee.

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