Out of Africa Coffee
Cameroon - Caplami Cooperative - 12oz
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This fully washed Java varietal grows above 1,400 meters in the Western highlands of Cameroon, on the slopes Mt. Oku. Over 2,500 members of the Caplami cooperative farm coffee in the regions of Mifi, Koing-khi, and Haut-Plateaux, with processing facilities in the village of Bafousam. The cooperative was founded in 1958.
Cupping Notes: Plum, orange, strawberry, toffee.
• Growing Altitude: 1,400 - 1,600 meters above sea level
• Variety: Java
• Process: Washed
• Region: Mifi, Western Province
Commercial coffee cultivation came to Cameroon with German colonists in 1884 and
was established in the western highlands in the late 1920’s when—the story is
told—agricultural engineer Rene Coste recognized the ideal conditions on the slopes of
the volcano, Mt. Oku, and planted 200,000 seedlings.
Today, Cameroon grows just over a half million bags of coffee each year, but 30 years ago production peaked at 3 million bags. The decline has been largely due to the removal of government controls and
supports and the overall decline in prices following the collapse of the International
Coffee Agreement in 1989.
Over 80% of coffee grown in Cameroon is robusta but the altitude, volcanic soil, and
diverse micro-climates around Mt. Oku are ideal for arabica. Most coffee is grown by
smallholders and although coffee growing cooperatives are not as numerous as they
once were, centralized milling remains common. Over a half million acres of land are
devoted to coffee farming, but yields are low due to the age of the trees. In recent years,
the government has sought to revive the coffee sector.