yunnan, China

Coffee is a tropic product. Maybe it is hard for you to believe
that the best coffee grown in Yunnan Province of China. Coffee
is a lavish gift that the God gives to the Yunnanese.
I. Yunnan Coffee Resources
It is well known that the leading arees for growing coffee product are between the equator and the 15 o of southern and northern latitude. Thus, coffee grows in North America, Indonesia, and Africa. However, the coffees grown in the areas between the equator and the 15 o of northern latitude are too strong, and have bitter taste. In fact, the best coffee should be the coffees grown in areas between the 15o of northern latitude and the Tropic of Cancer. Maybe it is just pure coincidence, the southern part of China's Yunnan Province are located in this golden belt. Hawaii of the United States and Saudi Arabia, although located on the same belt, are not agreeable areas for the growing of coffee. The reasons are that, Hawaii has no big mountains, and no heavy fogs, and the desert of Saudi Arabia has no water. Therefore, the best place for growing coffee is located in Yunnan in the southwest of China.
As far back as in the 1940s, Yunnan Coffee had been famous overseas, such as the fine variety entitled "Lujiang No.1" in London International Fair , and the "Yunkeng" coffee welcomed by the Chinese people.
Mr. Kari, a staff sent by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) to Yunnan, once acknowledged, after tasting coffees produced in different areas of Yunnan, that according to the natural conditions, Yunnan must be able to produce pure and mild coffee of relatively good quality.
Agreeable Climate
The geographic location, terrain, and landforms of Yunnan Hot Zone are featured by that, in the north, there are high mountains walling off the invasion of cold air in the winter, thus the cold hazards of tropical crops can be eased; in the south, the low elevations are favorable for the far reaching of the warm and moist airflow from the Beibu Gulf and the Bay of Bengal along the eastern and western river valleys which bring plenty of rainfall. Except having the features that rains and hot weather come in the period, cold and dry weather come in the same season, and being full of sunshine, moreover, noteworthy is that:
A. There is no typhoon in the summer or autumn. In winter, there is no direct invasion of cold current, thus, there is basically no cold hazard.
B. Due to the complicated mountainous terrain, there is little chance of hazardous weather occurrence. Even if it occurs, the affected areas would be small.
C. The lands already planted and to be planted are distributed in areas with elevations ranging from 700 meters to 1,100 meters. The annual average temperatures are 17.5 oC - 21.5 oC, the annual rainfalls are 700 - 1,500 mm. The temperatures in these areas vary greatly between day and night. This is particularly favorable for the accumulation of photosynthates, and the improvement of quality. At the time of the year when autumn turns into winter, drop in temperature is mild, and the weather is often sunny. In winter, there are a relatively large amount of sunshine hours. The obvious temperature inversion is favorable for the coffees to live through winter.
Since Coffee was first introduced into Yunnan by a French missionary in 1892, after unceasing trials and errors in developing planting scale, Yunnan has gradually obtained a set of systematic technologies and experiences worth popularization. Yunnan's successful experience in planting high quality and high-yield coffee has been unanimously acknowledged and praised by many international coffee experts. Meanwhile, in terms of intensive processing, Yunnan Coffee Factory which was aided by UNDP with a view to tap the quality advantages of Yunnan Coffee, has the first-class production line in the world.