Coffee lovers stir boom (Australia)

By Peter Morley

COFFEE lovers are stirring a boom in agriculture in the Sunshine State as growers prepare to cash in on a renewed passion for the bean-based beverage.

Australian's love for coffee has seen the cafe latte set increase purchases by $55 million in the past two years.
Most of the 45,000 tonnes of bean needed to meet this demand was imported, even though coffee has been produced in southeast and far north Queensland since the 1880s.

Producers are showing renewed interest now per capita consumption of coffee has doubled in the past 30 years to 2.4 kg at the cost of tea – down 60 per cent to 0.9 kg.

This taste bud realignment has meant increasing demand for the higher quality Arabica coffees used in the speciality or roast market, grown in Queensland and northeast NSW. Last year's combined production was 500 tonnes or 6 per cent of Arabica imports. The potential for increased production has prompted growers here to predict that within five years they will turn out 1100 tonnes.

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