Volcafe and Simao Arabicasm Coffee Company (SACCO) have established a joint venture to export Chinese Arabica at a signing ceremony in Pu’er City, China, on 22 October 2014. The new company, Yunnan Volcafe Ltd, will procure, process and export green beans from the Chinese coffee-producing region of Yunnan. “New origins take decades to establish, so it is rare event for a global player to bring a fresh crop to the market,” said Mark Furniss, Volcafe’s Business Development Director for Asia, in a statement. “Our commitment is a recognition of China’s concerted efforts to develop its coffee industry from local producer to global supplier.”
Volcafe will be the majority owner of the new company, which will make use of SACCO’s procurement network, as well as coffee milling and warehousing facilities in Pu’er City.
“Chinese mild Arabica is still relatively new to the world coffee scene, but its improving consistency means it is rapidly growing in acceptance with global roasters,” said Jan Kees van der Wild, Global Head of Commodities at Volcafe’s parent company ED&F Man, in a statement. SACCO has been active in coffee export from the Yunnan region for more than a decade. Its current management will transfer to the new venture and become Yunnan Volcafe Ltd employees.
Volcafe is one of the world’s leading coffee merchants, with sourcing operations in 15 coffee producing origins and sales offices in nine destination regions.
Volcafe said it has been one of the largest buyers, at Free On Board level, of the rapidly rising coffee crop in Yunnan for the past 10 years. It said the crop is now regularly in excess of one million bags.
