High quality coffee exports from China are set to receive a boost as Volcafe, a leading international coffee trader, launches a procurement and processing joint venture in the southern province of Yunnan.Arabica coffee production from Yunnan has been growing steadily over the past decade, and its quality has improved to the levels equivalent to Central American beans, say traders.Switzerland-based Volcafe, which is part of commodities trader ED & F Man, has been exporting Chinese arabica coffee, used in high quality blends, for the past 10 years, and it will become the first international trader to have a local presence through its joint venturewith Simao Arabicasm Coffee Company, a Yunnan coffee company.

知名跨国咖啡交易商Volcafe在云南设立了一家从事采购和加工的合资公司，此举有望提振中国高品质咖啡豆的出口。过去10年里，云南阿拉比卡咖啡豆(arabica，亦称小粒咖啡)的产量一直在稳步增长。交易商表示，其品质已提升至与中美洲咖啡豆相当的水平。总部位于瑞士的Volcafe隶属于大宗商品交易商ED&F Man。过去10年，Volcafe一直在出口中国产阿拉比卡咖啡豆，将其用作高品质咖啡的混合原料。通过与云南思茅阿拉比卡星咖啡公司(Simao Arabicasm Coffee Company)组建合资公司，Volcafe将成为首家在中国拥有据点的国际咖啡交易商。

“Chinese mild arabica is still relatively new to the world coffee scene, but its improving consistency means it is rapidly growing in acceptance with global roasters,” said Jan Kees van der Wild, global head of commodities at ED & F Man.Nestlé has been involved in the Chinese coffee farming industry since the late 1980s, investing in the sector alongside the Chinese government and the United Nations Development Programme.Since then, Starbucks opened a processing mill and a farmer support centre, providing technical assistance to farmers.Coffee was first planted in Yunnan, more famous for its tea, in the late 19th century by European missionaries. However, coffee drinking in China has tended to centre around instant coffee made from lower quality robusta beans.

ED&F Man大宗商品全球主管扬•基斯•范德维尔德(Jan Kees van der Wild)表示：“中国味道清淡的阿拉比卡咖啡豆在全球咖啡市场仍属于相对新鲜的品种，但其质量稳定性不断改善，让它正迅速得到全球烘培商的认可。”自上世纪80年代末起，雀巢(Nestlé)就涉足中国咖啡种植业，与中国政府和联合国开发计划署(United Nations Development Programme)一起投资于该行业。在那之后，星巴克(Starbucks)在中国设立了一家加工厂和一个农户支持中心，向农户提供技术援助。云南产的头一批咖啡（与咖啡相比，云南的茶叶更为知名）是由欧洲传教士在19世纪末种植的。不过，中国人目前喝的更多是速溶咖啡，这类咖啡通常以品质较低的罗布斯塔(robusta)咖啡豆制成。China produces more than 1m 60kg bags of arabica coffee – almost as much as Costa Rica and about a 10th of Colombia’s output – and most of it is exported.Mark Furniss, Volcafe’s business development director for Asia, said European roasters have been buyers of Yunnan coffee, especially at times of dips in Central American production.The recent fall in Colombian output due to leaf rust disease spurred imports of Chinese coffee. “It has become a regular component of the roasters’ blends,” he said.

中国阿拉比卡咖啡豆的产量超过100万袋（每袋60公斤），几乎与哥斯达黎加一样多，是哥伦比亚产量的十分之一左右，多数用于出口。Volcafe亚洲业务拓展总监马克•弗尼斯(Mark Furniss)表示，欧洲烘培商一直是云南咖啡豆的买家，特别是在中美洲产量下滑之际。哥伦比亚的咖啡豆产量最近因叶锈病下滑，这刺激了中国咖啡豆的出口。他表示：“（中国咖啡豆）已成为烘培商混合所用的常规组分。”这些需求导致中国咖啡豆的价格在过去几年里呈现上涨趋势。咖啡交易商称，中国咖啡豆现在的售价较纽约阿拉比卡咖啡豆基准价格存在一位数的折让，目前为每磅1.95美元。