Page 9 - YunnanTourismCultureTimes (110)

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FOCUS | 焦点

The rise of Yunka series coffee beans

“精品豆”的逆袭

In Xinzai Village, Lujiang Town, istics of diverse coffee types, including tinguished by the Yunnan Academy of
Baoshan City, amidst hundreds of wild relatives, native species, and cul- Agricultural Sciences as one of its top
hectares of coffee plantations, farmer tivated varieties. This extensive work ten recommended new varieties. This
Wang Youchun beams with joy before has culminated in the establishment of exceptional cultivar not only reaches
a patch of vibrant red coffee cher- a regionalized trial and demonstration peak production in a mere three years
ries, celebrating a bountiful harvest. breeding system for Yunnan coffee. but also boasts a rich aroma, bright
He said, “In the past, growing coffee The Institute has not only effectively fruity acidity, full body, and balanced
meant relying on the weather. Now, rejuvenated the Catimor variety but taste in cup profiles. Crucially, its
with the Yunka series, our yield has also addressed a series of key tech- impressive yield of 167.2 kilograms
doubled, and the quality has even made nological hurdles in the coffee indus- of dry beans per mu has effectively
it onto international rankings!” try. Their efforts have resulted in the overcome the historic challenge of
The brightly red coffee cherries are independent breeding of 22 new coffee low yields for Yunnan coffee. Joining
the culmination of 73 years of dedicat- varieties, many of which yield over 4 it, “Yunka No. 3” and “Yunka No. 4”
ed research by the Institute of Tropical kilograms of fresh cherries per plant. have also debuted, promising distinct
and Subtropical Cash Crops at Yunnan “Yunnan stands as one of the few floral notes and tropical fruit flavors,
Academy of Agricultural Sciences. regions in the country ideal for cul- respectively.
Since coffee was first introduced to Lu- tivating high-quality coffee,” Yang Technological advancements extend
jiangba in 1952, the Institute has inde- Zhu, Chairman of Baoshan Zhongka beyond just new varieties. A prime
pendently bred and selected the Yunka Food Co., Ltd., highlighted Baoshan’s example is the “Sinkhole Washed Sar-
series of varieties, propelling Yunnan unique subtropical dry and hot climate, chimor” coffee beans from the coffee
coffee from traditional farming to a which sets it apart from other Yunnan base next to the Sinkhole in Cangyuan
technologically empowered industry. coffee-producing areas like Pu’er, Wa Autonomous County, Lincang City,
While Catimor (an Arabica hybrid) Dehong, and Lincang. This distinct which secured first place in the China
remains the predominant coffee variety environment yields coffee beans that regional competition of the Global Raw
in Yunnan, decades of cultivation have are rich but not bitter, aromatic but not Coffee Bean Contest. Jin Tao, head of
led to challenges such as aging plants strong, and possess a delicate fruity Qiupo Manor, explained, “We have
and a low ratio of specialty-grade acidity, making them exceptionally introduced microbial fermentation and
beans. “The more challenging it gets, distinctive. Yang emphasized that in- targeted roasting techniques throughout
the more we need scientific researchers novation has been their key advantage. the entire process from planting to pro-
to step forward,” asserted Hu Guang- Through close collaboration with the cessing, effectively ‘locking’ the floral
fa, Director of the Institute and Chief Institute, they successfully cultivated and fruity aromas into the beans.”
Expert of the Yunnan Academy of Ag- “Yunka No. 1,” Yunnan’s first inde- Currently, over 60% of Yunnan’s
ricultural Sciences Coffee Innovation pendently developed coffee variety. coffee plantations utilize technologies
Team. In recent years, the Institute For processing, the company further such as water and fertilizer integration
has leveraged Yunnan’s rich coffee partnered with a leading optical enter- and green pest control. The average
germplasm resources to continually prise to develop and implement X-ray yield of ordinary demonstration farms
optimize breeding techniques. They bean sorting, significantly enhancing the reaches 139.06 kilograms per mu,
have accelerated research into the precision of coffee bean selection. which is 2.38 times the global average
agronomic traits and genetic character- In 2025, “Yunka No. 2” was dis- yield.