We continue to remain in regular contact with our partners in Myanmar. Even while the military junta continues and violence and tensions escalate, the economy has started to move again, albeit more difficultly and expensively. For example, banks are partially opening – enough to enable people to access their savings; shippers are operating, but with many of the same delays we are seeing in securing container space in other Asian ports due to COVID.
DHL in Yangon has resumed a once per week schedule for shipping parcels (including samples!). The internet is still intermittently turned off in certain areas, but we can communicate frequently enough to send information updates in either direction.
We have started to receive type and PSS samples from our suppliers and are making every effort to put together a mixed container to the West Coast to ship later this summer. Most lots will be pre-sold due to limited availability, but we are working to secure some spot lots for our Offer List.
You can support Myanmar coffee growers by buying their coffee. If you are interested in pre-booking Myanmar coffee for this season, reach out to your rep!
You can learn more about all the Myanmar coffees we carry here.
May is AAPI Month in the United States. The photo above is of women hand-sorting cherry for processing at the Amayar Dry Mill in Ywangan, Myanmar. Amayar is a woman-owned wet and dry mill, which dry mills both Amayar and Shwe Taung Thu coffee lots. I took the photo on our most recent visit to Myanmar in November 2019.