Overview & Significance
Papua New Guinea ranks 17th globally in coffee production and is Asia’s second-largest producer of washed Arabica coffees after Indonesia . The country produces between 850,000 and 1 million 60-kg bags annually , with export revenue exceeding $150 million . Despite modest volumes compared to major producers, PNG’s coffee industry is characterized by its focus on quality over quantity .
Today, around 95% of PNG’s coffee comes from small farms, usually less than two hectares in size, with approximately 400,000 growers . The majority of coffee is grown in the highlands, where 70% of the population depends on subsistence agriculture . Coffee accounted for $156 million in export earnings, 13% of agricultural export revenues, and 1.4% of total export revenues in 2021 , making it the country’s highest foreign exchange earner .
In a globally unprecedented step, PNG created the world’s first Ministry of Coffee, underscoring how central the crop is to national development . The Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), established in 1991 and based in Goroka, licenses exporters, conducts research, supports farmers, and oversees quality at the export stage, with every shipment tested before leaving the country .
Key Growing Regions
Ninety percent of the country’s coffee comes from the Highlands region, which stretches between the Southern Highlands, Western Highlands, Simbu (or Chimbu) Province, the Eastern Highlands and Morobe Province . The bulk of coffee (approximately 90%) is produced in five highlands provinces: Western Highlands (45%), Eastern Highlands (37%), Simbu (6%), Morobe (5%) and East Sepik (5%) .
The Western Highlands province grows some 18% of the country’s coffee and is Papua New Guinea’s highest coffee region at 1,400 to 2,200 m.a.s.l.
Mount Hagen in the Western Highland has cold wind over sandy, loamy soils, which may contribute to the heavy body and intense character of coffees from this region . Eastern Highlands is the second largest coffee-producing province in PNG, where coffee is the main cash crop, and the northern valleys have good road access to markets in Goroka and the port city of Lae .
Chimbu (also known as Simbu) is responsible for just 7.47% of Papua New Guinea’s coffee, with harvest between February and September, and is known for its dark chocolate, red apple, and stone fruit flavors . Simbu Province is high atop limestone; local buyers can recognize beans from this area from their darker green appearance . The Eastern Highlands are known for producing more neutral, tea-like profiles except for coffee from around Kainantu, which is heavier and more full in character, possibly due to cool breezes from the coast .
Cultivars & Processing
PNG farmers cultivate mainly Arabica coffee varieties, such as Typica, Arusha, and Bourbon, which thrive in the country’s unique microclimate and volcanic soils and are well-suited to PNG’s growing conditions . Some of the seedstock is from the Jamaican Blue Mountain variety of Typica, with the Arusha Typica varietal from Tanzania . Arusha is a rare Arabica variety that exhibits traits from both Bourbon and Typica, with round cherries similar to Bourbon and elongated, dark brown leaves resembling Typica .
From its earliest introduction to present day, the arabica gene stock in Papua New Guinea is considered one of the country’s strongest natural assets and one of the best-preserved typica lineage variety sets in the world . Washed mild arabica highland coffee dominates the industry, accounting for 95% of production, the other 5% being lowland washed robusta . Robusta coffee is grown at lower elevations, typically below 550 m.a.s.l., in the coastal regions of Sepik, Milne Bay, and East New Britain .
New Guinea coffees are wet processed (washed) coffees, with most PNG coffees producing clean and vibrant cups with strong clarity of flavor . Farmers here primarily wet-process their coffee, and while many Indo-Pacific coffees are wet-hulled, PNG coffee is meticulously wet-processed (fully washed), which develops prominent natural sweetness while eliminating heavy, earthy, or vegetal flavors . Some farmers also experiment with natural or honey processes, which add richer fruit tones and more sweetness, with traditional hand-processing by smallholder farmers adding unique variation .
Cup Profile & Flavor Identity
Papua New Guinea coffee is famous for its distinctive and complex flavor profiles, generally boasting a lively and vibrant sensation on the palate . Papua New Guinea coffee is known for bright fruit flavors, often including tropical fruit, citrus, and red berries, balanced by hints of chocolate and earthiness, creating a complex yet harmonious cup that is both exotic and approachable . A fine New Guinea coffee is deeply dimensioned yet well-balanced, with mild and mellow yet broad flavors that provide a bright and clean taste—a classic, delicate sweetness complemented by an exotic, complex and fruity aroma .
Papua New Guinea coffee often has a silky, medium-bodied texture with crisp, lively acidity that enhances the fruit-forward flavors . The result is a sweet and fruity coffee with a crisp acidity and medium body, with distinct notes of toffee, tobacco and raisin . Predominantly Arabica varieties like Bourbon and Typica, processed through washed methods, deliver a clean, full-bodied cup with bright citrus acidity and chocolatey undertones .
Many compare Papua New Guinea coffee to Ethiopian beans because of its fruity, floral character and lively acidity, but PNG coffee typically has a fuller body and a slightly earthier undertone, making it feel more grounded while still offering the complexity that coffee enthusiasts love about African coffees . Papua New Guinea’s diverse microclimates contribute to variations in flavor profiles across different growing regions—coffee from the Eastern Highlands may emphasize fruity and floral notes, while coffee from the Western Highlands might lean more toward nutty and chocolatey characteristics .