Yunnan, China's largest coffee-producing region, is seeing a surge in coffee bean prices, driven by global supply shortages.
Coffee farmers in the leading coffee growing city of Pu'er are expecting an increasing earning as prices nearly doubled compared to last year.
"This year, we started selling coffee beans at 5.8 yuan (about 80 U.S. cents) per kilogram, and the price has kept rising. Now, it's reached 10.59 yuan per kilogram, almost doubling. Last year, my income from coffee bean sales was around 160,000 to 170,000 yuan. I believe this year's sales can reach 300,000 yuan," said local coffee grower Li Xianhua.
The price surge, fueled by a 118.57 percent increase in global coffee futures over the past year, has brought significant profits to local farmers. However, it has also compelled coffee processing companies to adjust their purchasing and selling strategies.
"Previously, we would start purchasing coffee beans in December, but we moved the purchasing time up by a month in this harvest season. We're worried that prices might drop at some point, so our strategy this year is to stock only about twice our usual amount based on orders," said Shi Bin, owner of a local coffee processing factory.
In recent years, Pu'er has encouraged farmers to focus on producing high-quality coffee by adopting practices like selective harvesting and cherry grading. These efforts have improved the overall quality of Yunnan coffee beans, aligning with growing consumer demand for premium coffee.
With coffee cultivation covering approximately 680,000 mu (about 45,333 hectares) in Pu'er, the city accounts for over 50 percent of China's total coffee production.
"We expect Pu'er's green coffee bean output to be around 58,000 tons this year, roughly the same as last year. Based on current market prices, the total output value will exceed 10 billion yuan, making this the most profitable year for coffee growers since we started cultivating coffee," said Zhang Xiong, deputy director of the Pu'er Tea and Coffee Industry Development Center.
Coffee bean prices surge in southwest China's Yunnan as global supply drops
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
