New Level of Myanmar Coffee

“You may not think about politics, but politics thinks about you.” This quote, famously stated by Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was portrayed by Michelle Yeoh in the 2011 film The Lady.

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar is an independent nation in Southeast Asia with a complex history. It transitioned from centuries of imperial rule under Burmese kings to British colonial annexation in 1886. Myanmar gained independence in 1948, which lasted until 1962, when the country fell under strict military rule. From 1962 to 2011, decades of political oppression and economic mismanagement left Myanmar isolated, impoverished, and subject to international sanctions, making it one of the least-visited nations in the world.

Today, Myanmar is one of the most vibrant and colorful countries in Southeast Asia, drawing increasing numbers of tourists eager to explore its rich history and modern transformation. Beyond its renowned jade, gems, oil, and natural gas, Myanmar has recently entered the specialty coffee scene. The first samples were showcased in 2016 at a cupping event hosted by La Colombe in Philadelphia, in collaboration with Winrok International, Atlas Coffee Importers, USAID, and the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), represented by Andrew Hetzel.

Before visiting, I knew little about Myanmar beyond its complex political landscape. Since the country began opening up, it has undergone rapid modernization and development, moving from decades of isolation and poverty to becoming more globally connected. Yangon, the former capital, is hot and humid, making it exhausting to explore at times, yet the city captivates with its stunning pagodas and welcoming atmosphere.

My primary goal was to understand Myanmar’s specialty coffee market firsthand—its current state, future potential, and the initiatives being implemented by organizations like Winrok International and USAID to help local farmers improve production, increase income, and elevate coffee quality. After spending two days in Yangon, I took an express bus to Mandalay, the former royal capital in northern Myanmar, enjoying a comfortable nine-hour ride. From Mandalay, I traveled another two hours by taxi to Pyin Oo Lwin, a scenic hill town in the Shan Highlands, known as the heart of Myanmar’s specialty coffee production.

Pyin Oo Lwin is absolutely picturesque, with a cooler climate than Yangon and a peaceful charm influenced by its colonial British history. There, I connected with one of the region’s leading coffee producers, Sithar Coffee. I met with Sithar’s Managing Director, Min Hlaing, who guided me throughout my stay, allowing me to observe every step of coffee production in the area and gain a comprehensive understanding of the work involved on these estates.

So, what is really happening in Myanmar’s coffee industry? According to Winrock International, the USAID-funded Value Chain for Rural Development project seeks to integrate smallholders and rural households into competitive commercial value chains to increase productivity and drive agricultural growth. This five-year initiative, which ran from 2014 to 2019, focuses on improving coffee cultivation, processing, and marketing to attract a broader international audience capable of paying premium prices for specialty coffee. The ultimate goal is to elevate coffee quality—from the farm to the cup—through proper picking, processing, and cupping, ensuring that Myanmar coffee can compete in the global specialty market.

Coffee was first introduced to Myanmar by missionaries in 1885, mostly Robusta. In 1930, Roman Catholic missionaries brought Arabica coffee, which was planted in the southern and northern Shan States as well as in the Pyin Oo Lwin district. According to a 1940 report from the Department of Agriculture of Burma, Myanmar exported 95 tons of coffee between 1932 and 1936. Historically, before the USAID project, Myanmar’s coffee was exported mostly to China and Thailand at very low prices—sometimes not exceeding $2 per kilogram.

My first visit was to Sithar Coffee, a crop-to-cup pioneer in Myanmar, located at an elevation of about 3,500 feet above sea level. The main varietals grown at Sithar are SL34, Catimor, and S795, all achieving Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) cup scores above 83. Sithar is the largest investor in Mandalay Coffee Group, which includes a processing plant and a USAID-sponsored cupping lab serving as an export hub for Myanmar coffee. This facility was developed in collaboration with the local coffee community, and Amy VanNocker from the U.S. currently serves as General Manager under a two-year contract.

Sithar works closely with Winrock, USAID, and CQI, exporting green coffee to Japan, Europe, and more recently, the United States. The company actively promotes women’s groups in Myanmar’s coffee industry and employs state-of-the-art roasting technology from Dietrich. In addition to producing coffee on its 40-acre plantation with 40,000 coffee trees, Sithar purchases beans from smallholder farmers and supplies domestic coffee shops across Myanmar.

At Sithar, proper cherry picking is paramount. Only ripe cherries are handpicked to preserve the aroma and unique characteristics of the terroir. The farm employs fully washed processing, along with natural and honey processes, to highlight the distinct flavors of each origin. Fermentation is carefully monitored to prevent off-flavors, after which beans are sun-dried to a moisture level of 11–12%.

One of the most fascinating aspects of coffee farming in the Pyin Oo Lwin region is the prevalence of shade-grown coffee. The natural forest surrounding Sithar’s plantation provides shade protection for the coffee trees, which is crucial for proper cherry maturation, ecosystem preservation, and biodiversity. Only bio-fertilizers are used—no chemicals—ensuring the coffee is organically cultivated while supporting environmental sustainability.

The climate of Pyin Oo Lwin is nearly perfect for Arabica coffee, with an average daily temperature of 68°F and annual rainfall of approximately 55 inches. This combination of moderate temperature, high humidity, and fertile soil creates an ideal environment for coffee trees to thrive.

During my visit to the Mandalay Coffee Group, I had the opportunity to cup the winners of this year’s Myanmar cupping competition. I was genuinely surprised to discover that varietals like Catimor and S795—often considered mediocre in the cup—could produce such remarkable flavors. This experience reshaped my perception of certain coffee cultivars, revealing hidden potential in varieties that are often overlooked. It’s clear that the growing environment and choice of varietal have a profound impact on both cup quality and yield. While Myanmar’s overall coffee yield is relatively low, the farms I visited in Pyin Oo Lwin seemed content with their seasonal production, focusing more on quality than quantity.

My next stop was Ngu Shwe Lee Coffee Farm, owned by Kyaw Sein. The farm spans 230 acres, with around 1,300 SL34 varietals planted per acre. Kyaw Sein’s natural process coffee recently placed fourth in a national cupping competition, highlighting the quality of his farm. All coffee trees are grown under shade, promoting slow maturation and allowing the cherries to develop complex flavors.

SL34 is a high-yield cultivar, prized among specialty coffee professionals for its exceptional qualities. Originating in Kenya in 1931 as a mutation between Bourbon and Typica, it was introduced to withstand the heavy rainfall of the highlands while retaining extraordinary flavor characteristics—ranging from fruity and berry notes to bright citrus nuances. According to local sources, SL34 arrived in Myanmar directly from Kenya, while other varietals on the farm were sourced from Brazil and elsewhere. In addition to coffee, Kyaw Sein also cultivates macadamia nuts, diversifying his farm’s production.

Mr. Kyaw Sein employs around 50 people at Ngu Shwe Lee Coffee Farm. Most of the pickers are women, as he explained: “Women have more patience when picking coffee than men, and they are more precise in selecting ripe cherries.” Pickers are paid roughly $0.10 per kilo, while men primarily handle sorting, removing floaters, de-pulping, and drying, earning about $4.00 per day. Gender equality remains an issue on the farm; as Mr. Sein bluntly stated, “women should get paid less than men.”

Like many specialty coffee farmers in Myanmar, those producing high-quality coffee hope for better compensation that reflects the labor-intensive work involved in proper cherry selection and careful processing. Most buyers, however, are unwilling to pay more than $4.00 per kilo for Myanmar coffee. An exception was Atlas Coffee, which last year purchased a container of coffee from multiple farms at $7.00 per kilo—the only time I was told that Myanmar coffee commanded a higher price on the international market.

Recently, Kyaw Sein had a stroke of luck, signing a contract with a Japanese buyer who offered $6.00 per kilo for his natural process coffee, securing one ton of his harvest. It was encouraging to hear, and I sincerely hope he finds more buyers who value the care, labor, and dedication that go into producing quality coffee—not just quantity. Farmers like Kyaw Sein deserve to be rewarded for their hard work, passion, and the love they pour into each bean that ultimately makes our morning cup so enjoyable.

Some of the coffee picked at Ngu Shwe Lee is sent to the Mandalay Coffee Group processing plant for further processing and drying, while other batches—particularly natural and honey process coffees—are processed directly on the farm.

The next stop on my itinerary was Blue Mountain Coffee Farm, also located in Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar, at an elevation of 3,632 feet above sea level. The farm is owned by Philie, who earned 4th place this year in the cupping competition for the washed process category. At Blue Mountain, about 25% of the coffee is processed naturally on the estate, while the rest is sent to Mandalay Coffee Group for final processing and post-production.

Interestingly, Philie does not use a moisture meter to measure the moisture content of his beans. Instead, he relies on a traditional technique: biting the bean—if it feels hard, it is ready to be stored in the warehouse for stabilization. The farm spans 75 acres, with roughly 1,200 coffee trees planted per acre. Compared to other farms I visited in the Pyin Oo Lwin region, Blue Mountain focuses solely on the T8667 varietal, a Costa Rican cultivar known for high yields and resistance to leaf rust fungus. T8667, introduced to Myanmar by the government in the late 1980s, is a sub-cultivar of Catimor—developed in 1959 in Portugal as a disease-resistant, high-yield hybrid of Caturra and Hybrido de Timor from East Timor. The plant is relatively short, with large berries and seeds.

It was a pleasure chatting with Philie about the specialty coffee industry and the future of coffee in Myanmar. I shared insights about different processing methods and their impact on the cup profile, encouraging him to experiment with new techniques and provide feedback. All coffee at Blue Mountain is shade-grown, protected from direct sun exposure. Philie also cultivates macadamia nuts, and he shared an intriguing observation: T8667 cherries grown under the shade of macadamia trees tend to be sweeter than those grown under regular trees.

The final stop on my coffee farm journey was Green Land Coffee Plantation. Established in 1999, the farm began with T8667 seeds imported from Costa Rica, while its nursery is largely planted with SL34, the renowned Kenyan varietal. The farm spans 400 acres, with 300 acres dedicated to coffee cultivation, planting roughly 1,200 trees per acre. Green Land earned 2nd place in this year’s cupping competition for the washed process category and also specializes in dry process coffees. The washed process typically lasts 24 to 48 hours.

During harvest season, the farm employs around 150 migrant workers. Most pickers are women, paid approximately $0.10 per kilogram, while men handle processing tasks such as de-pulping and washing, earning about $4 per day. Like the other farms I visited, Green Land practices shade-grown coffee, which protects the trees, enhances bean quality, and promotes environmental sustainability.

The scale of dedication and focus on sustainability and quality within Myanmar’s specialty coffee market is truly remarkable. Every participant in the value chain—from farm to exporter—is driven to gain recognition, earn respect, and command top prices for their work, helping place Myanmar specialty coffee on the global map alongside more established producing nations.

However, some farmers expressed concern about the future once the USAID-sponsored project concludes in 2019. Questions linger about who will monitor production, maintain quality, and oversee marketing efforts. Farmers also hope for better compensation for the intensive labor required to produce high-quality coffee. While they are not unwilling to sell for $4 per kilogram, they want fairer pricing that reflects their dedication and ensures financial stability, allowing them to provide for their families and sustain themselves during the off-season.