U Sai Wan Maing (“Oo Sigh Wan Maing”) is the Vice Chairman of the Myanmar Coffee Association, and Co-Director of Sales and Marketing at Mandalay Coffee Group, Ltd (MCG). He is also the owner of Green Land Coffee Estate in Pyin Oo Lwin.
U Sai Wan purchased 750 acres from the Burmese government in 1998, in 1999 started growing coffee, and has continually grown and improved his estate since. In 2011 he replaced Costa Rica varietals with SL-23, in 2017 he planted Gesha, and in 2018 has planted bourbon, red catuai, yellow catuai, and mundo novo varietals. Currently 450 of the 750 acres are planted.
In 2017 U Sai Wan built a wet mill, and with water is in short supply and expensive, they rebalance the ph-levels of the waste water and irrigate the coffee fields with it.
Sai Wan is very professional, open to learning, and easy to work with. He is a wonderful guy, and has been one of the key players in the development of the smallholder coffees, and also managed the export of the first containers of specialty Myanmar coffee ever shipped to the United States. Sai’s estate is beautifully organized, and his mill is spotless. He grows his coffee under the shade of silver oak trees. He also has an extensive coffee nursery, and is experimenting with other varietals, including Geisha.
Coffee Stats:
- Ownership: U Sai Wan Maing
- Elevation (masl): 1,150
- Coffee varietial(s): Costa Rica, SL-34, Catimor – many others currently being planted (CR, SL-34, Gesha, Bourbon, Yellow/Red Catuai, Mundo Novo)
- Area: 160 hectares
- Production: 170 tons
- Processing: Washed, Natural
