Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/737343
20 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 5, 2016 (October/November) Coffee Report: Dan Shryock India India's Coffee Exports Rise India's coffee exports rose by more than 18% in the first five months of the 2016-17 fiscal year despite lower value realization, according to the Coffee Board of India. More than 163,615 metric tons of coffee were shipped during the April- August period this year compared to 138,479 MT during the same period of the 2015-16 fiscal year, according to a report in The Economic Times of India. According to the coffee board, there has been an increase in the export of robust coffee bean as well as instant coffee during April-August of 2016-17. The overseas sale of coffee rose despite lower export realization and likely fall in the domestic output in the 2016-17 crop year from October to September. The export realization remained lower at INRs 1,49,482 (UD$2,235) per metric ton in the first five months of this year, as against INRs 1,68,408 (US$2,517) per metric ton in the year-ago period, the data showed. Coffee production is estimated to decline by 8.75% to 320,000 MT in the 2016-17 crop year when compared with 348,000 MT in the previous year. Romania Coffee is Picking Up Steam Romania, like the Balkan countries, was first introduced to coffee by the Ottomans (Turks) who remained as uninvited guests for a few hundred years. Coffee culture featured the ibrik and prolific coffee houses. The tradi- tional way of roasting, brewing and enjoying coffee remains popular in rural areas from which baristas have earned several medals in the Cezve/Ibrik World Championships. Per capita consumption is half the European average but coffee is viewed as an "affordable urban luxury" and is slowly gaining ground. Coffee products from the multinationals are available in packaged retail and out-of-home market and small national roasters are popping up along with independent coffee bars. Green coffee is still dominated by robusta but arabica consumption is increasing. SCAE's World of Coffee 2017 exhibition will be hosted in Bucharest in adjoining Hungary which is expected to keep the local coffee culture blooming. – Alf Kramer Rwanda Bloomberg Aid to Rwanda Bloomberg Philanthropies recently announced it will invest an additional $10 million to expand the organization's women's economic development program in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The donation is being made through a grant to the Relationship Coffee Institute (RCI), a nonprofit dedicated to improving the livelihoods of rural Rwandan women coffee farmers through training and market access, more women will be able to benefit and participate in Africa's economic growth. "In Sub-Saharan Africa, agricultural production, tourism, and construction are rapidly growing industries that are fueling economic development. Bloom- berg Philanthropies has helped ensure that more women are not only a vital part of this growth – but emerge as strong participants and beneficiaries," Patricia E. Harris, c.e.o. of Bloomberg Philanthropies, said in a statement. RCI is a key partner in helping women access one of the most valuable agriculture commodities; coffee. Currently, the coffee supply chain struggles to provide 25 million small- holder farmers with a fair and sustain- able means to meet their basic needs. The problem is especially acute for the estimated 12 million smallholder farmers who are women, most of whom are marginalized and left out of the global marketplace. Without access to knowl- edge, markets, and buyer networks, smallholder farmers miss the opportu- nity to make needed income to feed their families and care for their commu- nities. RCI connects women farmers to resources and global markets so they can meet the international demand for specialty coffee. The new round of funding will allow the institute to reach an additional 20,000 women and builds on a previous commitment of over $2 million. In 2013, with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, RCI's main partner, Sustainable Harvest has continued to expand its women's coffee program, and by 2015 was sourcing nearly one million pounds annually of women-grown coffee from nine countries. The funding from Bloomberg allowed Sustainable Harvest to scale its social enterprise model by working with government and local NGOs. As a result, RCI was able to reach a larger number of women, many of them widows with limited agronomical skills. Uganda Uganda Targets US Market In an effort to increase the visibility of Ugandan coffee, the National Union of Agribusiness and Farm Enterprises (Nucafe) is set to market the product in the United States. While the Ugandan government aims to export 20 million bags of coffee by 2020, a lack of marketing in consumer markets such as the United States could thwart that plan, according to a report by New Vision. "Uganda's coffee is not known in key coffee consuming countries like the US," said Nucafe executive director Joseph Nkandu. "Our coffee is just used as a blend, but we want to change this Bloomberg Philanthropies' latest $10 million donation benefits the Relation- ship Coffee Institute. Photo credit: Bloomberg Philanthropies Barista Ecterina Szosz of Romania finished 2nd in Athens and 4th in Dubai Cezve/Ibrik World Championships