Future Developments
Over the last 10 years through the CDP, approximately 500,000 new coffee seedlings have been distributed to the smallholder farmers who now number over 550. This, along with the establishment of the Coffee Organisation of Vanuatu (COV) and provision of technical training programs, has resulted in a re-invigorated and vibrant coffee industry on Tanna. The COV was initially established to provide the farmers with a unified voice and body that could jointly represent them in discussions and negotiations, while seeking assistance and support from the various international donor bodies. Raw coffee is the only true Cash-Crop income available to the farmers, as the vast majority of the people are still self-subsisting farmers who rely heavily on the island barter system in order to obtain other essential goods and materials. The reputation and the overall quality of Tanna Coffee has been maintained throughout its history and is proudly 100% Organically Grown, hand picked and processed, naturally fermented and sun-dried, without the use of any chemicals or fertilizers.
Currently, all coffee is sold in roasted and packaged form through TCDC’s finished product facility, which is located in Port Vila, with 70% being distributed locally and the balance being exported overseas. The Roasting Factory has been developed further to cater to demands from the tourism sector, to provide tourists with an insightful view into ‘The secrets of the humble bean that is enjoyed by so many, but understood by so few’. The Factory will be open to the public 5 days per week (or by appointment for larger groups) and will provide guided tours and full explanation of the entire coffee operation from the tree to the cup, with opportunities to sample and purchase some of the finest and definitely freshest ‘Arabica Coffee’ in the World. Tanna Coffee, which is internationally recognized and award winning, finds itself in quite a unique situation where demand for our coffee far outstrips our ability to supply, and it is now opportune to lift annual production levels.
A new proposal is underway to re-establish the former TCDC Estate (comprising 1,000 acres) and this, along with the on-going CDP plans for coffee production on other suitable Islands, will hopefully see an annual Vanuatu Coffee production level in excess of 500 tonne within the next 3-5 years. This staged commercial development will initially see the re-habilitation (wherever possible) of formerly planted out individual 1Ha coffee plots, housed within up to 20 small 10Ha nucleus estates spread throughout the former TCDC plantation. It’s envisaged that ultimately more than 200Ha of coffee can be re-established over a 5 year period that could yield between 300 and 400 tonne annually, whilst providing 80-100 full time job opportunities, as well as 300-400 part time jobs during the 4 month harvest season annually. The up-front financial and social benefits of this proposal are obvious and quite large in relation to the local Provincial economy and there will also be the additional flow-on benefits to the overall economy of the nation, in terms of foreign exchange income earning capacity. The original aims and objectives of the Company have not changed since its inception, which was to provide a sustainable and vibrant Agricultural Industry that would assist in developing Vanuatu towards self sufficiency.