30,000 coffee bean growers export their products to Europe

July 11 report on the website of the Hindu newspaper on July 9, a report entitled "the Land of Tea has changed due to Coffee" said that Yunnan's green hinterland is known for its place of origin of tea, and now it is time for a coffee company to attract attention.

It is reported that the display area of Hougu Coffee Co., Ltd., Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province, not far from the border between China and Myanmar, is filled with a strong aroma of coffee. In a spotless white building, coffee beans are roasted to the right. The instant coffee in the next room is being freeze-dried.

Finally, there is a huge cafe-style hall for visitors to taste the wonderful taste of coffee.

However, there is a question: why does the company dabble in coffee instead of tea? The former is famous for its coffee beans rich in Colombia, Brazil or Jamaica, while the latter's hometown is China.

Cao Youwang, a senior official of Hougu Coffee Co., Ltd., gave some answers. "Coffee growers decide where to plant according to altitude, sunlight, temperature changes and soil conditions," he said. On the whole, Yunnan, especially our farm, is extremely suitable for these four aspects. "

Cao Youwang pointed out that the company grows coffee beans at an altitude of 1600 meters, which is the ideal height for coffee beans to grow. The volcanic soil in the area is also ideal for growing coffee beans. In addition, the average daily temperature difference of the three major coffee beans in Yunnan is between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius, which is also a key factor for Hougu Coffee to surpass its competitors.

Like many other Chinese companies, Hougu Coffee is the beneficiary of globalization, the report said. Company officials say they sell products to Starbucks and Shangdao Coffee. Building relationships with global brands helps the company expand its sales footprint. However, there is another side to this cooperation. Cao Youwang said: "because of this relationship, we cannot build Hougu into an independent international brand." We are making progress and getting the necessary recognition, but we are still far from achieving our ultimate goal. "

However, international brands have been involved in poverty alleviation in Yunnan, focusing on bringing poor farmers and workers into market-driven global supply chains. Another company executive said: "nearly 30, 000 coffee growers and 60, 000 families have benefited from the cultivation of more than 110000 hectares of Hougu coffee."

Yunnan is no stranger to international coffee brands. Swiss food giant Nestl é has been involved in Yunnan coffee industry since 1988. It buys coffee beans from remote areas such as Pu'er and Xishuangbanna near the border between China and Laos. The emergence of new transport networks has also helped Yunnan to export coffee, especially to Europe. Chongqing-Singapore-Europe International Railway has now become the logistical lifeline for the export of coffee to Europe.

From Chongqing, the 11179-kilometer-long railway passes through Lanzhou, Gansu, and enters Xinjiang. The train enters Kazakhstan through the Alashan pass, then into Russia, Belarus and Poland, and finally to Duisburg, Germany. Before transferring to a cross-border train, Hougu coffee must be exported by sea from Guangzhou, which takes 45 to 50 days. The train allows the company to ship its products to Europe in just 14 days.