Bush Babies - Article in The Age today

[fatboy_1999]

Interesting read about Vanuatu coffee and an upcoming competition.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/bush-babies/2007/10/08/1191695779231.html

[Andy]

Re: Bush Babies - Article in The Age today

Very interesting.

On Tanna, an off-beat tourism destination dominated by the active Mount Yasur volcano, there are 400 hundred farmers growing 350,000 coffee trees on about 400 hectares. Its small-scale production. Adlington expects the company to produce 30 ?tonnes of coffee this year and says "next year it might even be 40 tonnes".

"We rely on small farmholders but really we need to develop a production level of 200-300 tonnes. We have captured the local market but international demand is growing," he says.

"The Vanuatu Government has set us a target of 500,000 tonnes in the next 10 years, which is a bit unrealistic,

So their 30 tonne current industry (that is struggling to make a good espresso locally) is going to be pushed to 500,000 tonnes?

Sounds like the antics of Brazil. Take a potentialy good product, over produce, under value and end-up selling supermarket or instant coffee grade beans at bargain prices and low quality.

With any luck people like Rob Forsyth can encourage their specialty coffee production while hes there.