Papua New Guinea's coffee industry has a unique development trajectory, with over seventy percent of coffee beans coming from small local farms, mostly scattered deep in the forests or among the highlands. The growing environment at altitudes of 1,300 to 1,800 meters gives the coffee beans higher quality, and the natural growing method also gives them a distinctive flavor. From the development opportunity brought by the Brazilian frost in 1975, to the quality fluctuations and policy adjustments in the 1990s, and now to the stable performance of A-grade and AB-grade coffee, Papua New Guinea coffee has gone through a winding path worth understanding. This article will introduce you to its growing background, grade classification, taste characteristics, and share suitable brewing ideas.
The legendary background of modern coffee.
In Papua New Guinea, about 75% of coffee products come from small local farms. Many farms clear land in forested areas, and some farms are deep in the forest, almost isolated from the outside world. The country's coffee is all grown in highlands at altitudes of 1,300 to 1,800 meters, so the quality is very high. Although coffee is also grown in some lowlands, the output is relatively very small. Most of the coffee grown locally relies on natural conditions, because transporting fertilizer and pesticides to the farms is difficult and costly.
The coffee industry occupies a very important position in the country's economy. More than 1 million people are directly and indirectly engaged in the industry. The government encourages cultivation by providing a minimum purchase price. The industry itself is controlled by the Coffee Industry Board. The board is located in Goroka in the eastern part of the island, while export operations are all handled by private companies.
The frost in 1975 destroyed most of Brazil's coffee crop, but it stimulated the development of Papua New Guinea coffee. The government implemented a plan to fund rural or collective landowners in creating about 20-hectare coffee plantations. This measure indeed increased the penetration of coffee cultivation in the local economy, and by 1990, annual output had reached 1 million bags.
However, almost inevitably, the sharp increase in production led to a decline in quality. Before 1991, coffee quality was still acceptable, with most belonging to Y grade. After 1991, quality gradually declined, and the European market was lost as a result. The premium that Y-grade coffee once commanded also gradually decreased. This was related to the country's "one grade, one price" policy. This policy was completely unworkable for an industry like coffee, where quality is variable. As a result, low-quality coffee beans damaged the image of Y-grade coffee's high-quality standard and created a backlog.
The government's response was to establish new quality grades, temporarily stop producing Y-grade coffee, and no longer implement the "one grade, one price" policy. This allowed buyers to negotiate prices according to quality, which inevitably affected the income of farmers producing inferior coffee beans. By 1993, the quality problem had basically been resolved. Most old customers began buying coffee from Papua New Guinea again. Y-grade coffee is now sold at a slightly lower premium, which shows that its quality has improved.
Although coffee trees grow vigorously in some places, because growers lack persistence, the harvested coffee beans vary in ripeness and size. AA is scarce, and generally A and AB grades can be bought. The main characteristics of A-grade coffee are: plump beans, lighter acidity, and a lingering aftertaste.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
