Tag: difference between blue mountain and high mountain coffee

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Blue Mountain vs. High Mountain: The Growing Divide in Jamaican Coffee

Coffee Farmers Struggling to Cultivate Non-Blue Mountain Crops

Kingston, Jamaica – Jamaican coffee farmers, particularly those cultivating non-Blue Mountain varieties, are facing increasing challenges that threaten their livelihoods. Despite a recent surge in overall coffee production, the disparity in prices and support for Blue Mountain and non-Blue Mountain farmers has widened.

The Blue Mountain range stretches along the eastern side of the island, while coffee from the High Mountain region (also known as non-Blue Mountain) is primarily produced in the central and western parts. Quality Blue Mountain offers coffee lovers a complex flavor profile with notes of spice, chocolate, and fruit, while High Mountain coffee typically has a more intense chocolate and spice flavor with a slight bitterness. Despite the higher quality and premium price of Blue Mountain coffee, the challenges faced by farmers in both regions are significant.

Difficult farm access on steep slopes, high fertilizer costs, farm theft, diseases, and the changing climate make farming Blue Mountain coffee a risky venture. Many farmers are struggling to make a profit, even with the higher prices. “They want us to plant more beans, but it just doesn’t make any sense most of the time,” said the head of Middleton Cafe in the Blue Mountains.

The price disparity between Blue Mountain and non-Blue Mountain coffee is evident at the consumer level as well. A cup of Blue Mountain coffee can cost up to $3.50 at Middleton Cafe, while a cup of High Mountain coffee at Smurfs Cafe in Treasure Beach is only $1.00.

According to the Planning Institute of Jamaica, while Blue Mountain cherry coffee production increased by 16.2%, non-Blue Mountain cherry coffee production declined by 1.3%. This trend can be attributed to several factors, including the higher prices offered for Blue Mountain coffee, which incentivizes farmers to focus on this more lucrative crop.

The recent increase in Blue Mountain prices has further exacerbated the economic divide between farmers. The average farm gate price for Blue Mountain cherry coffee has risen to $367,433.3 per tonne (or roughly US$2,450 per tonne), while non-Blue Mountain cherry coffee remains at $119,415.8 per tonne (about US$800 per tonne).

This price disparity has led many non-Blue Mountain farmers to abandon their crops in favor of more profitable alternatives. The decline in non-Blue Mountain production is not only a loss for these individual farmers but also a blow to the country’s agricultural diversity and the overall economy.

Efforts to address this issue include providing targeted support to non-Blue Mountain farmers, such as technical assistance, improved access to markets, and potentially higher subsidies. Additionally, exploring new markets for non-Blue Mountain coffee and promoting its unique qualities can help to increase demand and improve prices.

Crisis isn’t new to coffee. Below is a timeline from before the pandemic.

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What does Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee taste like

Tones of chocolate, nut and spice without bitterness. That’s the classic taste profile of Jamaica Blue Mountain (JBM).  In other words three distinct layers of tastes. The profile can vacillate slightly with more curated brands offering a transition between chocolate, spice and fruit. 

The complexity and smoothness gained a reputation since the 1960s as a coffee that stood world’s apart from your typical cup. Context is important. The 60s was an era before Starbucks, when instant coffee was largely prevalent. Additionally, the average coffee drinker opened a can of dark roasted ground beans. The industry at the time was set on delivering the cheapest cup. That often meant dark very bitter brew. Besides if people had an issue they just added sugar and milk.

Within this era of mass bitter coffee was a beverage from Jamaica that could be consumed black! A brew that allowed the subtle layers of tones to cover the palette of its drinker. No doubt this resulted in it being a delicacy which fetched a premium price.

Then came Starbuck cafes. Its entry largely killed the canned bitter coffee market and resulted in shifting the value chain from cheap to tasty beans. It resulted in the world adopting farming, harvesting, producing and brewing practices that were standard in places like Jamaica and other high end quality coffee nations. The result commodity beans are more flavourful.

Nowadays it is commonplace to source beans from around the world with satisfying taste profiles. But most cannot get the Jamaica Blue Mountain balance of chocolate, spice and fruit. Usually commodity coffees are nutty. Or spicy. Or fruity. It is very rare that they get contrasting tones in one like a quality JBM.

So what does Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee taste like: It tastes like quality.