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News: Rising climate stress on Arabica and Robusta coffee has increased attention towards climate-resilient coffee species like Excelsa.
About Excelsa Coffee
- Excelsa coffee (Coffea liberica var. dewevrei): It is a lesser-known coffee species gaining importance for climate resilience and unique flavour.
- Native to: It is native to parts of Tropical and West Africa as well as Southeast Asia.
- Known as: In India, Excelsa is locally called Mara Kaapi, which means Tree Coffee.
- Introduced to India: Excelsa was introduced to India in the late 1800s by a British planter, Colonel Benson, as an alternative to Arabica following pest and disease outbreaks. .
- Key Aspects of Excelsa Coffee:
- Climate Resilience: Excelsa is considered better suited to climate variations and changing rainfall patterns than Arabica and Robusta.
- Low Caffeine Content: Excelsa contains lower caffeine levels ranging from 0.7% to 1.1%, making it suitable for people preferring low-caffeine coffee.
- Tree Profile: Excelsa is a large woody tree that can grow up to 20 metres tall with large dark green leaves and a straight trunk.
- Long Gestation Period: It takes around 11-12 months from flowering to fruit maturation depending on climatic conditions.
- Commercial Interest: Coffee growers in India, Uganda, and Vietnam are increasingly experimenting with Excelsa for climate-resilient coffee farming.
- Cultivation Challenge: The tall height and dense branching of Excelsa made estate-scale management and harvesting difficult.
- Significance: Excelsa is gaining importance as researchers and farmers search for climate-resilient coffee species to support the future of global coffee cultivation.
