Sri Lankan coffee industry – Representative of outstanding development and recovery efforts

– TASTE THE ORIGIN –

The Sri Lankan coffee industry has existed for more than two centuries with the first plantation established in 1824. During that time, Sri Lankan coffee has experienced great growth, decline heavy and even recovery steps. Join 43 Factory Coffee Roaster to explore this country’s coffee industry.

The flourishing development in the early days of the Sri Lankan coffee industry

Coffee was introduced to Sri Lanka in the early 17th century, from Yemen to India by Muslim pilgrims. But at that time, people only used its leaves and flowers for rituals  and cuisine. During the Dutch colonial period (about 1780 – 1796), coffee cultivation in Sri Lanka was first grown for commercial purposes. The colonial government continuously supported farmers to expand coffee growing but was unsuccessful. It was not until the British colonial period that the country’s coffee industry began to expand. Especially around 1864, Sri Lankan coffee output was extremely high with about 111,289 hectares used for coffee growing. Infrastructure development and efforts to improve farming methods caused the value of Sri Lanka’s coffee exports to account for nearly one-third of the value of European coffee imports in 1863. By 1870, Sri Lanka’s output This country’s coffee peaked with more than 275,000 hectares of coffee growing area.

Sri Lanka’s coffee industry plummeted because of the rust epidemic

The success of Sri Lanka’s coffee industry was relatively short-lived. In 1868, a major rust outbreak severely devastated the Sri Lankan coffee industry. The disease lasted from about 1869 to 1985, and spread throughout the growing regions of Sri Lanka to most coffee growing regions in the world. Therefore, many manufacturers had to give up coffee production and grow tea instead. This decline caused the coffee growing area to decrease to about 4,609 hectares in the 1890s and to only about 11,392 acres in the 1900s. To solve this situation, the colonial government hired a botanist. Englishman, Harry Marshall Ward, to understand the causes and find solutions.

Sri Lanka’s coffee industry gradually recovered

Since then, the Sri Lankan coffee industry has begun to enter a recovery phase. Coffee rust was largely controlled in the 1990s. Although production is still limited, Sri Lanka has made progress. In the 1980s, farmers grew coffee on an area of 12,140 hectares, leading to the country’s exports reaching a record 3.3 million kg. Over the past decade or so, the Sri Lankan coffee industry has made significant investments, helping to steadily increase both output and quality. The Sri Lankan community strives to develop the coffee production culture of each region and achieve recognition and popularity in the international market.

Each country, region, and coffee will highlight different attractive aromas. If you want to experience the diversity and excitement of flavors, visit XLIII Coffee – The brand developed from the predecessor 43 Factory Coffee Roaster to enjoy high-quality specialty coffees from famous growing regions in countries around the world!

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