Liu Minghui, the hero of Yunnan coffee development, reveals how Starbucks formed a bond with Yunnan coffee.

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Father of Coffee in Yunnan

Since American missionaries planted the first coffee seed in Pu'er Lancang a hundred years ago, local residents have been addicted to coffee. A bunch of bright red fruits were picked at the front and back of the house. Take its shell and put it into the mouth to chew, sweet and delicious, the middle core protruding casually, inadvertently become the seed of the next coffee tree. Local children play and eat all the way, vomit all the way, take root and sprout all the way, and instantly become a gathering place of coffee trees all over the mountains, spreading to the whole Pu'er. Since then, as long as children born in Pu'er must have grown up frolicking in the coffee forest, they are, in today's words, "coffee children."

Pick coffee beans

Liu Minghui, who was born in Pu'er Jingdong, is no exception. His coffee life begins with the first coffee bean in his mouth. "Coffee grew up with me, and I also witnessed the growth of coffee."

In the late 1980s, coffee trees spread all over Pu'er, but they did not receive corresponding attention. Apart from the 2000 mu state-owned coffee garden set up by the General Administration of Land Reclamation in Baoshan, it was the only commercial coffee plantation at that time. In order to quickly lift local people out of poverty and become rich, the United Nations Program and Development Programme (undp) has launched an assistance program that includes agriculture, industry, energy, public health, poverty reduction and economic reconstruction. In particular, a large-scale aid program has been launched for the Pu'er coffee market.

Liu Minghui was interviewed by the reporter

Liu Minghui, who had just graduated from university at that time, had the honor to join with his excellent grades and outstanding talent. "because this place is suitable for growing coffee, and the quality of coffee is also quite good, in order to help local people shake off poverty and become rich, the first project of undp is to introduce varieties, and the second is to train coffee talents. They recruited and trained talents throughout the province. At that time, they only recruited six people, and I was one of them. The main task of the job is to go all over Europe to learn the knowledge of coffee processing. "

In 1993, when the UNDP assistance project of the United Nations Plan ended, Liu Minghui returned home and naturally joined the civil service. However, living abroad for a long time has already made his values of life more advanced. From a coffee man's point of view, civil servants are not the way he wants to go in the future.

Liu Minghui resolutely resigned and used his savings over the years to open a cafe called Golden Canyon near the Cuihu Hotel (now the address of the fennel Tavern). He worked as a waiter, a barista and a boss. Although the area is small, like the Grand Canyon in Arizona, he has a huge dream. This is where Liu Minghui really infuses his soul.

The Golden Canyon was the first coffee shop in Kunming at that time. As soon as it opened, it immediately attracted attention, especially for foreigners living around it, who felt unbelievable to find an authentic coffee shop in Kunming. Professionalism and dedication make the business of the cafe better and better day by day, and the little boss enjoys it.

The first person at the exit

Although the coffee shop is booming, it still can't hold Liu Minghui's love of coffee. Coffee leads to excitement, thinking, and discovery.

"my guests are all foreigners, but there are few Chinese. Most of the young Chinese who can drink coffee in this cafe are in love, which goes against his original intention. Coffee is not so temperamental." After years of assistance from the United Nations Planning and Development Program, China's coffee production is getting higher and higher, stepping into the line of commercial development, including the contribution of Liu Minghui. During this period, Pu'er welcomed Nestle, which is the only local coffee buyer in Pu'er. "if Nestl é doesn't buy it, it won't be able to sell its beans. Nestl é can only sell it for as much as it costs, and there is no room for counter-offering. such a large industry cannot be sold to one businessman in this way, but should expand its sales."

Liu Minghui, who grew up with Pu'er coffee, cannot turn a blind eye to this status quo. He devoted his life to coffee, and if he was only satisfied with opening a small cafe to amuse himself, he always felt sorry for the farmers he had brought to commercial cultivation, although he lived a happy life. "at that time, I made a lot of money by opening a small cafe. I bought a motorcycle and a mobile phone, and I lived a very good life, but when I think about the coffee that is not easy to grow, I don't feel like it when I can't sell it."

Determined, Liu Minghui took the coffee beans out of the cafe and went to the New York small seed Coffee Trading Center alone, with the help of colleagues or teachers who worked together in the United Nations Planning and Development Program at that time. Yunnan Coffee was successfully promoted in New York. 1996, this is an important year. Under the leadership of Liu Minghui, Yunnan small seed coffee entered the grading system of the New York Coffee Exchange Center for the first time, passed the quality test with good results, and spread widely in the United States, which also means that Yunnan small seed coffee has successfully crossed the sea. to form a new sales chain in the big city of the United States.

In order to create a good export environment, Liu Minghui set up the Sanglaite Coffee Company in the United States, started the import road with the motherland, purchased Yunnan coffee domestically, and promoted Yunnan coffee externally. This has been done for 20 years to this day. During this period, Liu Minghui also made his own brand of coffee in China, which is the coffee we are familiar with.

Will you marry me?

"making coffee is like falling in love, with good character, good reputation and trustworthiness. Naturally, some people will like it." Adhering to the integrity-based business attitude, Liu Minghui has made it through all the way to become a leader in the world coffee industry. At the same time, Starbucks, an American coffee chain, is also watching this dazzling star from China, hoping to write a new coffee chapter between China and the United States.

In 2012, Starbucks founder Howard Schultz personally approached Liu Minghui, hoping to buy and export quality coffee from Yunnan with Liu Minghui. After many negotiations, on February 26th of the same year, Aiyi Group signed a contract with Starbucks of the United States to set up Starbucks Aiyi Coffee (Yunnan) Limited wage, and to operate a coffee processing plant in Pu'er to help Yunnan improve the quality of coffee and bring Yunnan's best coffee to the global market. "I'm the prince of China, Starbucks is the princess of the United States, and I got her back." Liu Minghui said jokingly.

Since then, Liu Minghui has contributed a lot to the fact that Pu'er coffee has gone from being unsought after to being famous all over the world. When he just graduated from college at that time, in the face of the uncertain future, he must have never thought that one day he would be able to stand on the world stage and be noticed by the public. this pride comes entirely from his heart's love for coffee, and only with real concentration and love can there be a natural success and harvest. "I never thought about making money when I made coffee, purely because I liked it, did what I liked, and played with my favorite coffee. It was inevitable, because I loved it very much, because I was very passionate. My love motivates me to persevere and coffee keeps me passionate. "

Occasionally, Liu Minghui will go back to the door of the coffee shop 20 years ago. Leaning against the only pole that hasn't changed. My heart was suddenly calm, and in an instant, the young days, the days of running for love, seemed to be in front of me. This is the first stop of Liu Minghui's dream to take off, and it is also the beginning of the growth of Yunnan coffee.