A New Center of Excellence for Local Production
On Thursday, November 21, 2019, the Martinique Natural Park (PNM) invited coffee producers and a delegation from USHIMA COFFEE CORPORATION to the very first tasting of Martinique’s specialty coffee. at the Tartane TI’KAFE Roastery, an artisanal coffee roasting company.
“Since 2017, the PNM has been providing scientific and technical support to farmers in Martinique to help them achieve their goal: planting 20 hectares of Arabica Typica by 2020, primarily to meet demand from American and Japanese customers. These customers have, in fact, committed to a purchase price of more than 30€/kg and to supporting the launch in Japan during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The creation of a premium coffee supply chain for Martinique is part of an agricultural diversification program focused on high-value-added niche production, led by the Martinique Natural Park (PNM) on behalf of the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique (CTM). This revitalization project will contribute to the sustainable development of Martinique by drawing on its natural heritage.”
The «Typica» variety was introduced to Martinique in the 18th century by General De Clieu; at that time, the island was considered the gateway for Arabica coffee into “the New World.” The plants currently being cultivated were obtained through mini-cuttings from the few «Typica» mother plants that could be identified on the island, which are direct descendants of the first Arabica coffee trees introduced there. This technique, developed in Latin America through a CIRAD-Ecom collaboration, was transferred to Martinique as part of this project. It involves germinating seeds collected from the original trees. CIRAD, the agricultural research center for development, has provided technical support for this new high-end coffee industry from the very beginning.
