It is worth noting that coffee from Papua and New Guinea is gaining more and more popularity. Why are coffee beans from such a distant corner of the world unique and more and more famous?
The main pillar of the economy of Papua and New Guinea
Few people know (even those who love to drink coffee) that coffee is the main export product of Papua New Guinea. Moreover, the processing and cultivation of coffee seeds in this country employs approximately 2.5 million people, i.e. almost half of the population of Papua and New Guinea. The cultivation and export of coffee is therefore the main pillar of the economy, which is why coffee from this corner of the world is distinguished by very high quality. To realize how important the coffee export sector is, have a look at the following data: Papua New Guinea exports over a million bags of wholesale coffee beans annually, which gives them income equal to 340 million Papuan cinemas, or over $100 million. Interestingly, coffee is not an indigenous plant found on this island, as the first crops appeared there at the end of the 20th century and are closely related to the colonial nature of the island. With a fairly high degree of probability, it can be said that the first person to grow coffee in Papua New Guinea was Emma Coe Forsayth, often nicknamed the "Queen of Coffee". She was the owner of a large coconut plantation, which is why it is very likely that coffee, which was popular at that time, began to be grown on the plantation. The first official coffee plantation was Variarata, located near the capital of the country, Port Moresby. This information comes from a British governor's report from 1890. Over the decades, the cultivation of coffee on the island has developed very strongly and today Papua New Guinea has 65 large and 650 medium plantations (from 1 ha to 30 ha), and coffee is also grown on small private farms and even in gardens.
What makes Papua New Guinea coffee different?
Coffee from Papua New Guinea stands out above all for its excellent quality. There are at least two reasons why this coffee is so perfect. First of all, it is grown in great climatic conditions and on fertile volcanic soil, thanks to which it is rich in micro- and macroelements. Secondly, when growing coffee on the island, no artificial fertilizers or pesticides are used, because Papua New Guinea is a developing country and it simply cannot afford it. Thanks to this, the quality of Papua New Guinea coffee beans is at a very high level, which is appreciated by both professional baristas and coffee lovers around the world. Arabica from Papua New Guinea is characterized by low acidity, as well as a chocolate-nut flavour with a delicate aftertaste of fruit. Therefore, this coffee is becoming more and more popular every year.
