Sunday, August 14, 2005
Coffee Lovers Face Jamaican Blue Mountain Shortage
Very sad news for lovers of the champaign of coffee. News released last week from Reuters reports there is a major shortage of Blue Mountain Coffee because of the recent hurricanes.
LONDON, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Coffee connoisseurs may soon struggle to find the famed Jamaican Blue Mountain, one of the world's most expensive coffees, after hurricanes devastated this year's crop on the Caribbean island.
Jamaican Blue Mountain arabica, known as the champagne of coffees, risks becoming dearer still because Hurricane Ivan in September ruined 60 percent of the harvest just as it started.
Hurricane Dennis in July has also taken its toll, plunging the industry into its worst crisis since 1988, when Hurricane Gilbert damaged 70 percent of the island's coffee fields and factories and shut down production for almost two years.
Only about 1,000 tonnes of Blue Mountain beans are produced a year, equivalent to three hours' coffee output in Colombia, and Japan snaps up at least 90 percent of that. The U.S. and Europe split the rest.
"The connoisseur is definitely in trouble. We're not sure as yet what is going to happen but it is going to cause havoc," said Giles Hilton, product director at British tea and coffee retailer Whittard of Chelsea Plc.
Visit our website for authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Beans
LONDON, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Coffee connoisseurs may soon struggle to find the famed Jamaican Blue Mountain, one of the world's most expensive coffees, after hurricanes devastated this year's crop on the Caribbean island.
Jamaican Blue Mountain arabica, known as the champagne of coffees, risks becoming dearer still because Hurricane Ivan in September ruined 60 percent of the harvest just as it started.
Hurricane Dennis in July has also taken its toll, plunging the industry into its worst crisis since 1988, when Hurricane Gilbert damaged 70 percent of the island's coffee fields and factories and shut down production for almost two years.
Only about 1,000 tonnes of Blue Mountain beans are produced a year, equivalent to three hours' coffee output in Colombia, and Japan snaps up at least 90 percent of that. The U.S. and Europe split the rest.
"The connoisseur is definitely in trouble. We're not sure as yet what is going to happen but it is going to cause havoc," said Giles Hilton, product director at British tea and coffee retailer Whittard of Chelsea Plc.
Visit our website for authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Beans
