CNI News

14 Jan 2023

The prices of coffee from Myanmar have risen from three to four folds thanks to demand from the local market and Thailand, according to coffee growers in Myanmar.

The prices of green coffee have risen from MMK 800 per viss last year to MMK 3,800 per viss this year, Chairman U Win Aung Kyaw of coffee farmers' group in Ywangan told the CNI.

He said, "Coffee prices have risen in the domestic market. The foreign demand for coffee grew last year when coffee plantations in Brazil were damaged by snow and coffee from Laos and Cambodia was imported by China. So, Thailand had to import coffee from Myanmar and green coffee prices have risen to MMK 3,800 per viss."

Drying coffee beans.

Prices of green coffee have risen three-fold to MMK 3,800 per viss while that of coffee seed have risen two-fold to MMK 6,500 per viss.

Higher prices of coffee are beneficial for farmers but it is also necessary to expand coffee cultivation to maintain the market share of Myanmar coffee abroad, Founder of Sithar Coffee U Min Hlaing told the CNI.

He said, "Higher prices of coffee are beneficial for farmers. However, we need to maintain the momentum and it is expensive for local consumers. So, we need to expand coffee cultivation."

Myanmar has a total coffee cultivation acreage of more than 50,000 acres and coffee beans are harvested on 30,000 acres, producing 8,611 tons of coffee, according to a survey conducted by the Land Records Department.

Quality inspection of coffee beans.

Under the current political climate, coffee cannot be harvested in Chin State, Kayah State and some other places due to instabilities and transportation problems, U Win Aung Kyaw told the CNI.

He said, "The situation in Shan State (South) is peaceful and farmers have harvested coffee there. However, farmers in Chin and Kayah states cannot harvest their coffee beans while harvested beans cannot be transported to other regions due to political climates. Coffee production in the states amounts to one-fourths of that of the Shan State (North and South)."

Coffee is mainly grown in Shan State (North and South), Mandalay Region, Chin State, Kachin State, Kayah State and Karen State and coffee beans are harvested in December, January and February.