Can Sri Lankan specialty coffee rise to the top of the world in the future?

In the early days, the Sri Lankan coffee industry under British colonial rule achieved proud achievements, with export output accounting for ⅓ of Europe’s total coffee imports in 1870 (total imported volume). exported more than 275,000 hectares of coffee). Then, the 1868 coffee leaf rust outbreak devastated Sri Lanka’s coffee industry. The epidemic caused many manufacturers heavy losses. The area under coffee cultivation declined rapidly from  275,000 acres in 1870 to 11,392 acres in the 1900s.

However, over the past few decades, Sri Lanka’s coffee industry has gradually recovered and developed. The government and supply chain stakeholders have established connections and provided resources and training support to manufacturers. Therefore, in the 1980s, coffee farmers made progress with the coffee growing area reaching 12,140 hectares, and the country’s export output reached a record of 3.3 million kg. Coffee exports increased by 84% in the period 2017-2019 (According to data from Sri Lanka Export Development Board).

Although a country directly affected by the epidemic outbreak, Sri Lanka still has the potential to become a leading supplier of specialty coffee thanks to its unique strengths. First of all, the growing area in Sri Lanka is mainly a highland plateau with unique tropical soil and climate that is very suitable for specialty coffee production. For example, coffee grown in the Bandarawela regions tends to have honey and fruit flavors. While coffee grown in Kotmale tends to have more citrus and floral flavors.

Sri Lanka also invests in high quality Arabica coffee varieties. In the 1980s, varieties like San Ramon were popularized and intercropped on tea hills. Next, Catimor and Lakparakum coffee varieties were put into production in the 1990s and 2000s, respectively, to increase variety and create a foundation for the development of Sri Lankan specialty coffee. In addition, farmers are also actively encouraged by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Agriculture Export to produce arabica coffee in the Central Highlands such as Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Kandy and Matale, helping quality and output to increasingly improve.

Subraja Subramaniam – Member of the Research, Impact, Measurement and Inclusion (RIMI) team at the Market Development Facility said that most of Sri Lanka’s exported coffee is processed on farms and in factories. Manufacturers often use natural sun-dried processing techniques. The country’s centralized processing system also uses rinse processing methods, which tend to receive higher coke scores and better coke quality. In particular, with a focus on processing methods, the country also has great potential to develop centralized processing facilities. This could help the country’s coffee achieve better quality consistency and reduce waste. Therefore, it is clear that Sri Lanka is a country with extremely potential in producing specialty coffee.

Like many other countries, Sri Lankan manufacturers face certain challenges in improving output and quality. Experts estimate that up to 80% of the island nation’s total coffee production comes from small farmers. If they want to pursue the specialty coffee path, all sectors and supply chains need to support these farmers to improve their access to financial resources, knowledge, and production techniques.

Additionally, women make up about 60% of the workforce. The Sri Lankan coffee industry must focus on ensuring the implementation of gender equality initiatives. This is especially important because it could increase global production by 4%, equivalent to about 30 billion additional cups of coffee annually.

Deshan Wickremasinghe – Business Advisor for the Coffee Department at MDF (A multinational initiative to promote sustainable economic development throughout the Pacific region) said the main barriers to the development of the Sri Lankan coffee industry are low productivity, inconsistent quality and limited producer knowledge. Large plantation companies in Sri Lanka mainly focus on tea and rubber production. However, they are actively diversifying their crops and are especially interested in coffee. Because converting to coffee growing can help increase production levels significantly.

With its own strengths in history, geographical location, and human resources, Sri Lanka has a lot of potential to continue developing higher-quality coffee. Furthermore, the future appears promising with improved access to resources and more formal training opportunities. However, for sustainable growth in production, the country’s coffee industry needs continuous support from the supply chain and efforts of indigenous communities. Therefore, join XLIII Coffee in using specialty coffee beans to support sustainable coffee farmers!

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