HISTORY OF COFFEE IN JAMAICA

Jamaican Coffee has commanded the admiration of coffee drinkers for centuries. It was in 1728 that Sir Nicholas Lawes the then Governor of Jamaica imported coffee into the island from Martinique. The country was ideal for coffee cultivation and nine years after its introduction 83,000 lbs. of coffee was exported. Between 1728 and 1768, the coffee industry developed largely in the lower mountain ranges of St. Andrew, but gradually the cultivation extended into the higher elevations of the Blue Mountains. Since then, the industry has experienced many rises and falls, with some farmers abandoning coffee for livestock and other crops.

In order to save the industry legislation was passed in 1891 "to provide instructions in the art of cultivation and curing coffee by sending it to certain districts, and competent instructors". Efforts were made to increase the production of coffee and to establish a Central Coffee Factory for processing and grading. In 1944 the Government established a Central Coffee Clearing House where all coffee for export had to be delivered for cleaning and grading. Improvement in the quality of Jamaica's coffee export was underway. The Coffee Industry Board was established in 1950 to officially raise and maintain the quality of coffee exports. These efforts have now placed Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee as one of the top coffees in high demand by coffee aficionados around the world.