Laos Coffee Lao Coffee origin information Coffee cultivation situation full introduction

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Basic national information

Chinese name: Laos

Full name: Lao people's Democratic Republic

Alias: Laos (common in Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia)

English name: Lao People's Democratic Republic, abbreviated Lao PDR

Continent: Asia

Area: 236800 square kilometers

Population: 6.89 million (2014)

Capital: Vientiane, Vientiane

Total GDP: $12.369 billion (2015, international exchange rate)

Per capita GDP:1818 USD (2015, international exchange rate)

History

Laos has a long history. According to ancient records, it belonged to Funan State from the 1st century to the end of the 7th century. Later he belonged to the kingdom of Zhenla.

It was Nanzhang from the 13th to 18th centuries, then invaded by Siam and Vietnam, and then invaded by France.

It was colonized by France in 1893.

It was occupied by Japan in September 1940.

He became independent in 1945.

In 1975, the monarchy was abolished and a republic was established.

Laos is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and one of the least developed countries.

He joined ASEAN in July 1997.

Administrative division

Laos, located in Southeast Asia, is a landlocked country, bordering China in the north, Vietnam in the east, Cambodia in the south, Thailand in the west and Myanmar in the northwest.

The Mekong River, which originates in China, is the largest river in Laos, flowing 1900 kilometers west and through the capital Vientiane. It is 234km long as the border between Laos and Myanmar and 976.3 km between Laos and Thailand.

The country is divided into 17 provinces and 1 municipality directly under the Central Government. The territory of Laos is long in the shape of north and south, and the provinces can be divided into Shangliao, Zhongliao and Xialiao.

Topography and climate

Laos is 80% mountainous and plateau, and mostly covered by forest, known as the "roof of Indochina."

The terrain is high in the north and low in the south, bordering the western Yunnan Plateau of Yunnan in the north, the Changshan Mountains on the border between Laos and Vietnam in the east, and the Mekong Valley and basins and small plains along the Mekong River and its tributaries in the west.

The whole country is divided into Shangliao, Zhongliao and Xialiao from north to south. Shangliao is the highest, with an elevation of 2000,800 meters above sea level on the Chuanfeng Plateau and 2820 meters above sea level on Mount Pubia.

Laos has a tropical and subtropical monsoon climate, with a rainy season from May to October and a dry season from November to April. The annual average temperature is about 26 ℃. There is abundant rainfall in Laos, with the youngest annual precipitation of 1250 mm, the maximum annual precipitation of 3750 mm, and the average annual precipitation of about 2000 mm.

A brief History of Coffee

Coffee cultivation in Laos has a history of about 100 years. It was originally introduced by the French.

Coffee cultivation can be divided into four stages:

From 1920 to 1940, the French introduced coffee and operated coffee farms, and local farmers gradually began to grow coffee.

From 1940 to 1975, affected by external factors such as war and agricultural disasters, farmers mostly abandoned coffee or switched to Robusta.

From 1975 to 1990, develop state-owned coffee farms and pursue high production.

In 1990, the farm returned to private ownership.

Coffee variety

Around 1920, French settlers began to grow coffee, mainly Arabica iron pickup and bourbon, on the Brawan plateau in southern Laos.

From 1940 to 1990, under the influence of external environment, such as war, agricultural disasters (mainly frost and leaf rust) and national policy, coffee varieties were gradually replaced by Robota species with stronger disease resistance and higher yield, and there were also a few Liberika species.

After 1990, the Arabica species began to receive renewed attention.

At present, the output of Robusta is still in the majority.

Table 1 Total output of coffee in Laos 2013-2016 (unit: 000 bags, each bag 60kg)

Year

2013

2014

2015

2016

Output

five hundred and fifty

five hundred and six

four hundred and sixty seven

five hundred

(source: ICO)

Traditional coffee producing areas: Bolaven Plateau, Brawan Plateau

Bolaven Plateau, Brawan Plateau, the name comes from the region's most populous ethnic group "the Laven", which originally means "the home of the Lavan people". It is located between the Annan Mountains, the border between Laos and Vietnam to the east, and the Mekong River to the west at an altitude of about 1000 to 1350 meters (3300 to 4430 feet).

The Brawan Plateau has the longest history of coffee cultivation in Laos, and it is also the region with the widest planting area and the largest coffee production. Among them, the three areas covered by the plateau (namely, Basong Paksong in Basong province, Thateng in Saravan province and Laongam in Sekong province) account for 95 per cent of the total coffee production in Laos. The coffee planting area in the three regions is about 70000ha.

In addition to the three areas mentioned above, coffee is also produced in other areas of the Brawan Plateau.

In addition, coffee is also grown in the northern provinces on a smaller scale.

Picture: coffee planting area of Laos provinces (2011-2012)

(source: Lao Coffee Association)

Coffee and Travel

The Brawan Plateau is famous for its pleasant climate, magnificent waterfalls and high-quality coffee, such as Taat Fang (also known as Dong Hua Sao), which has the largest drop (120m) in Laos, and Paksong, a small town known as the "coffee market".

The coffee and beauty of the Brawan Plateau have been listed in National Geographic magazine and recommended in Lonely Planet.

Most of the coffee farms here, like their American counterparts, operate coffee farms as well as coffee trips.