The misty highlands of Guava Ridge in St. Andrew will serve as the backdrop for the eighth annual Blue Mountain Coffee Day celebration this Friday, centered on the critical theme of constructing a climate-resilient coffee industry. This significant event commemorates the historic January 9, 1967 shipment that saw 60% of Jamaica’s annual coffee harvest dispatched to Japan from Kingston’s port—a pioneering commercial endeavor executed by the late Keble Munn, founder of Mavis Bank Coffee Factory established in March 1953.
Norman Grant, Chairman of the Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association and CEO of Mavis Bank Coffee Factory, emphasized in his anniversary address that this year’s observance occurs during a pivotal recovery period for the industry. Coffee growers are confronting multiple climate-induced challenges, most recently Hurricane Melissa, highlighting the urgent necessity for developing robust adaptive strategies within local coffee cultivation.
The event will feature keynote addresses from Floyd Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, and Yasuhiro Atsumi, Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica, underscoring the bilateral importance of this agricultural partnership. The celebration is collaboratively organized by the Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association, 5,000 local coffee farmers, the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority, Jampro, and multiple government ministries alongside the All Japanese Importers of Jamaican Coffee.
Renowned for its exceptional quality, Blue Mountain coffee thrives exclusively in the elevated regions of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 5,500 feet. The unique terroir—characterized by cool misty conditions and mineral-rich volcanic soil—produces beans with distinctive mild flavor, minimal acidity, and exceptionally smooth characteristics. This premium coffee commands global recognition as one of the world’s most exclusive and expensive varieties, with over 80% of exports destined for the discerning Japanese market where it holds revered status.
The Blue Mountain Coffee Day tradition was originally established in Japan in 2018 by the All Japanese Importers of Jamaican Coffee under the thematic banner “Jamaica Blue Mountain, the King of Coffees and the Winning Bean,” celebrating both the product’s excellence and the enduring trade relationship between the nations.