Growing coffee to meet rising global demand
View(s):Countries like Sri Lanka are looking at overcoming the current concerns of climate change to cultivate coffee and cover the gaps in world market production levels as they look at catering to speciality high priced niche markets.
In this respect the Market Development Facility (MDF) together with Australian Aid made recommendations on the cultivation of coffee in Sri Lanka following a study carried out in the country in five districts of Kegalle, Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla on how the impact of climate change can be overcome in trying to take up on the opportunities in using the land to grow this plant.
Sri Lanka as an emerging coffee producing country with low coffee volumes compared to other major producing nations such as Brazil and Uganda, as well as regional producers such as Vietnam and India is set to compete on the global coffee market in the niche segments producing premium priced higher quality coffee.
The study has found that there is an opportunity for Sri Lanka to expand production in a climate-resilient manner, while avoiding the costs of transitioning plantations and infrastructure to higher altitudes or having to switch from Arabica to Robusta and other varieties.
Climate change is altering weather patterns, ecosystems, and economies with 2023 recording the warmest year on record.
Sri Lankan plantations are looking at the prospects of growing Arabica coffee on the estates in a bid to capture a market that is said to be fast reducing in quantities available in the global market.
In moving into this specialty coffee sector the country needs to invest in becoming more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
In this respect, research and development capacity need be strengthened by cultivating diverse coffees that are more resilient to climate change such as those with greater temperature, drought and disease resistance.
It is also important to invest in research to explore innovative agricultural techniques to ensure that present coffee producing regions can continue to grow the plant even in the future. Sri Lanka needs to also look at expanding coffee production in a climate-resilient manner by exploring new coffee – growing areas; facilitate access to financial resources so farmers can easily adapt to new changes and insurance cover to mitigate risks; in addition providing climate early warning and monitoring systems so farmers can plan and make decisions ahead of time.
Global coffee consumption in the past 30 years has almost doubled and about 3 billion cups of coffee is consumed daily. Total coffee output is expected to increase by 5.8 per cent to 178 million bags in 2024 of which Arabica coffee is expected to increase by 8.8 per cent.
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