New Zealand's Expanding Coffee Growing Industry – CoffeeTalk

Commercial coffee growing in Aotearoa is an emerging industry, particularly in Northland, where significant developments are underway. In 2020, New Zealand’s only commercial coffee plantation, Ikarus Coffee, was highlighted by RNZ. By late 2022, the New Zealand Coffee Producers Association (NZCPA) held its inaugural conference and has since garnered nine members, underscoring the sector’s growth potential, which is likened to the early days of New Zealand’s wine industry.

Currently, approximately 7,000 coffee plants are established, with an additional 5,000 to 10,000 under cultivation. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is providing funding for various trials to identify optimal soil types in Northland for coffee cultivation. This initiative is part of MPI’s Māori Agribusiness Extension Programme, with an investment of nearly $486,000 aimed at assessing the feasibility of larger-scale coffee growing, and it is set to last until March 2028.

In pursuit of expertise, the NZCPA is hosting another conference this year featuring an expert from Kona, Hawaii, who will share insights on coffee cultivation and processing techniques essential for enhancing the coffee’s high-value characteristics. MPI’s Haines Ellison emphasized the ministry’s backing of this initiative due to its potential for diversifying land use and enabling smaller land blocks to benefit from high-value crops.

Additionally, growers are actively expanding the variety of coffee cultivated in the region, including award-winning Arabica varieties such as Geisha, SL34, and Tabi, notable for their disease resistance. There’s a distinct focus on producing premium coffee beans, which necessitates unique processing methods. One innovation involves fermenting coffee with yeast, leading to discussions with the wine and beer industries to collaborate and utilize their expertise for optimal results in flavor development.

Read More @ RNZ