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19460 views December 16, 2018 posted by Maja Wallengren

SPECIAL REPORT: From The Tiniest of Tiny Coffee Islands, Dominica Plans For Coffee Revival

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JUNE 6, 2017–One of the tiniest of the world’s tiny coffee islands, Dominica in the Caribbean has laid out big plans for a major revival of the coffee industry, reports the online daily the Caribbean Journal.

Dominica, which is also known as the “Nature Island” in the Caribbean, has begun construction on a coffee processing plant in Portsmouth in the north of the island nation that will have the capacity to process 2,000 metric tons of beans per year. The coffee is all to be sourced from Dominican plantations and thanks to “friendship funds” received in the late years of the Chavez administration in Venezuela, the bilateral project is to see the cultivation of some 800 hectares of coffee on the island.

“In the 1970’s coffee was a burgeoning industry in Dominica but over time neglect and a focus on the banana industry led to interest in coffee declining,” said Edward Lambert.

The Journal reports that the office of Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has confirmed that plans are now underway to identify where the additional coffee is going to be grown, which will increase the local production multiple times from the current acreage of less than 40 hectares.

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“We know that we have lands that are capable of growing the finest Arabica coffee which is the type of coffee that has given Jamaica its great name,” Edward Lambert, personal assistant to the Prime Minister, told the Journal. “Blue mountain coffee is really Arabica coffee grown at a certain altitude, and we have the ideal altitude in Dominica for growing that coffee.”

One local company, Nature Island Coffee, has formed a joint venture with the state-owned Venezuela Coffee Corporation. The Venezuelan government is funding the construction of the coffee plant worth about $11 million USD.

For more, see: http://www.caribjournal.com/2013/07/30/dominicas-big-plans-for-coffee/
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10 Comments

  • I discovered just what I used to be taking a look for. You’ve ended my 4 day lengthy hunt! Have a great day. Bye

  • Do you know where I can buy green Dominica coffee?

    • Hello Justin, thanks for your message but I am afraid I can’t help you — at least not yet 😉 — the new farms are just only starting to produce but I hope I will be able to visit the island in the next year or so and pick up some beans for myself. I will let you know when I figure out where to buy them. Best, Maja

  • […] example, a few years ago, Nature Island Coffee built a coffee factory in Portsmouth in the north of the country with funds from Venezuela. It can […]

    • Thanks for your comment and how exciting to hear from you, I would VERY MUCH like to try a sample of coffee from the Nature Land Coffee company, is there any chance you can send one to me so that I can post a proper review on my blog here and help promote all the good work you are doing in the Dominica? Please write me at my private email; mwallengren@outlook.com

  • […] hat Nature Island Coffee vor ein paar Jahren mit Geldern Venezuelas eine Kaffeefabrik in Portsmouth im Norden des Landes […]

  • Will fail like everything in Dominica. Farms are to small and to many people looking to make a buck.

    • Coffee farming has never been easy and even less when it comes to RE-introducing the cultivation but tiny islands have a great exclusivity if they are able to direct this business toward the tourist and cruise trade, so while no one says this will be a quick and smooth ride it is not impossible 😉

  • Are there plans for naturally shade grown plantations? And will Fair Trade be available for the farmers? I have a special place in my heart for this island because I spent a college spring break there for an ecology course and did a mini-study on bird diversity in former coffee plantations. It was a wonderful experience. I know how tough it is for local farmers to make a living.

    • Hi Jason, thanks for taking the time to comment, I have actually recently been able to VISIT some of the coffee areas on Dominica and I am totally please to be able to CONFIRM that the coffee project is still on — I would be very happy to hear more about your experience, can you perhaps write me at mwallengren@outlook.com , please? Best regards, Maja

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