No. 79 of the coffee producers with 4 tons of coffee a year.
- New Caledonia belongs to France and lies in the South Pacific between New Zealand and the Solomon Islands.
- In 1860, monks of the Marist School Brothers Order brought Arabica Bourbon Pointu from the island of La Réunion to New Caledonia.
- Already four years later, 60,000 coffee plants were grown and distributed mainly to settlers of the Canala region for cultivation.
- In the late 1880s, Arabica was grown on 60 ha and exported at a good price.
- Utopian plans for expansion to 47,000 ha and a production of 90,000 tons failed.
- When the coffee leaf rust attacked the plants in 1910, they began to grow Robusta coffee from Java, as it is more resistant.
- With further support, the harvest volume rose to 224 tons in 1932, and even to 541 tons in 1939, with the harvest being carried out by forced laborers.
- The decline of the coffee industry in New Caledonia began with World War II.
- In addition, in 1948, the devastating effects of the infestation of the coffee borer beetle.
- The very old traditional plantations were the main reason for further declining in the annual harvest volume between 1963 and 1973 to less than 108 tons.
- In 1975, the coffee industry was revived by introducing modern farming methods and new coffee varieties.
- Today, there are 180 coffee farmers who grow Robusta and the Arabica varieties Bourbon Pointu, Bourbon Jaune and Farino Blue in the Northern Province.
- The pointu beans are due to the special quality, the low harvest volume and the high French labor costs one of the most expensive coffees in the world.
- The coffee gives a silky-soft mouthfeel and has a pleasant full body and a subtle acidity.
- Only with a light roast of Bourbon Pointu, the aromas of nut, apricot, cocoa and caramel develop completely and give a unique taste experience.
- So it is no surprise that famous people like Winston Churchill, Honore de Balzac and Jaques Chirac swear by the coffee of this archipelago.
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