Local residents and tourists along the way warmly greeted General Secretary Xi Jinping, saying, "Can we invite you to have a cup of coffee?" Xi Jinping occasionally paused to exchange with everyone, saying, "Yunnan coffee still represents China, and it is also popular abroad now
Red coffee fruit. Photo by Hu Zunhui, a reporter from People's Daily Online
Why can Yunnan coffee represent China?
Firstly, having an absolute advantage in planting area and yield nationwide.
The Guixia coffee planted in Ning'er. Photo by Tao Ping
In 2024, Yunnan Province will have a coffee planting area of 1.267 million mu and a yield of 146000 tons, accounting for over 98% of the national total, firmly holding the top spot in China's coffee producing areas.
The cultivation history of Yunnan coffee can be traced back to 130 years ago, and it is currently mainly distributed in six provinces and cities including Pu'er, Baoshan, Lincang, Dehong, Xishuangbanna, and Nujiang. Located near the Tropic of Cancer, at low latitudes, high altitudes, with large temperature differences between day and night, fertile and weakly acidic soil… Yunnan's natural conditions are similar to those of internationally renowned coffee producing areas.
The coffee farmer is sun drying coffee fruits. Photo by Hu Zunhui, a reporter from People's Daily Online
Especially the small grain coffee has found an excellent place to settle down in the south of Caiyun. The characteristics of Yunnan coffee, such as being strong but not bitter, fragrant but not strong, and slightly acidic, have gained increasing recognition from industry insiders in recent years. Starbucks, Nestle, and Luckin Coffee have launched multiple Yunnan coffee bean products. Whether it is an international giant or a local coffee new force, Yunnan coffee beans have become their "must-have".
Secondly, there is a significant improvement in quality.
Although Yunnan's coffee planting scale is leading in China, its proportion in the international coffee bean supply system is less than 2%. In addition, the traditional variety of Yunnan coffee is the Katim series hybrid, which, although resistant to disease and high-yielding, is difficult to rank among the top in terms of quality.
The coffee farmer is picking coffee. Photo provided by Simao District Integrated Media Center
Quality and output do not have an advantage in the international market, so naturally there is no pricing power. Due to the lag in planting level and processing, Yunnan coffee once faced the dilemma of "selling one pound of coffee beans and not being able to afford a cup of coffee".
How to break the deadlock? In 2022, Yunnan Province will introduce a series of policies such as the "Six Measures for Coffee" to support Yunnan coffee to pursue the path of refinement and deep processing.
The coffee farmer is picking coffee. Photo by Hu Zunhui, a reporter from People's Daily Online
Designate a suitable planting area of 1.05 million acres for premium coffee, promote excellent varieties such as Guixia and Tiepika, and build a premium estate for Yunnan coffee brand construction… After three years of efforts, as of 2024, the premium rate of Yunnan coffee has increased from 8% in 2021 to 31.6%, and the deep processing rate has increased from 20% in 2021 to 80%.
According to Kunming Customs statistics, Yunnan Province will export 32500 tons of coffee in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 358%, which will be exported to 29 countries and regions including the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, and Vietnam.
Coffee farmers in Fuyan Town, Menglian County, Pu'er City are drying coffee beans. Photo by Hu Zunhui, a reporter from People's Daily Online
Thirdly, there is an increasing market recognition.
Nowadays, coffee shops are rapidly becoming popular in small cities ranging from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen to fourth and fifth tier cities. Especially for many post-90s and post-00s generations, they have upgraded from drinking coffee to enjoying the taste of coffee. Instant coffee cannot be sold at a high price, but West Lake Longjing is not cheap!
Moreover, the increasing cultural confidence has reduced the younger generation's admiration for international brands and increased their curiosity about domestic coffee. Many Yunnan coffee practitioners have expressed that it will not be easy for Yunnan coffee production to meet the domestic market in the future!
The coffee farmer is picking coffee. Photo by Hu Zunhui, a reporter from People's Daily Online
A cup of coffee can make your brain run rapidly and you can be energized to work; A cup of coffee can also slow you down, meet and enjoy 'poetry and distance'. Coffee is a beverage and also a way of life.
In fact, Lijiang does not produce coffee, but it provides an excellent coffee consumption scene – pushing the window to see snow capped mountains, especially suitable for holding a cup of coffee and daydreaming. Relying on rich coffee resources and culture, Yunnan actively promotes the integration of coffee and tourism, creating a number of new consumption scenes with coffee as the theme, such as coffee estates, coffee markets, and coffee streets, allowing tourists to participate in the entire process from coffee planting, picking to tasting, and immerse themselves in the experience. Taste coffee and enjoy local customs.
Various types of coffee products. Photo by People's Daily reporter Liu Yi
During this year's Two Sessions, Wang Ning, the Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee, extended an invitation to netizens across the country to "stay in Yunnan", hoping that more and more people will come to Yunnan, no longer rushing to "check-in", but staying for a period of time to experience a beauty that "begins with mountains and waters and returns to fireworks". To unlock this beauty, why not start with a cup of Yunnan coffee.
Reporter: Ye Chuanzeng, Zhu Hongxia, Xu Qianmu, Sheng Yu
Planning: Yang Wenming
Liaoning ICP Security No. 21122402000217