SANAA, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- In Yemen, coffee is more than a crop. It is part of the country's history and identity, and growers and businesses are seeking to revive the industry amid years of conflict.
The effort was on display Thursday in Sanaa, where farmers, traders and coffee enthusiasts gathered to mark International Coffee Day.
"Coffee is a treasure for Yemen," coffee farmer Sheikh Abed Rajeh told Xinhua at the event. Expanding the sector, he said, could raise incomes for rural communities and give a boost to Yemen's economy.
Mohammed Al-Qasimi, head of the Coffee Unit at Sanaa's agricultural authorities, said around 15 million coffee trees had been planted across the country over the past five years.
Yemen's coffee production has risen from around 17,000 tons to between 42,000 and 45,000 tons in 2025, while output is expected to reach about 50,000 tons in 2026 as cultivation continues to expand, Al-Qasimi said.
An initiative is underway to plant 100 million coffee trees over 10 years, at a planned rate of 10 million trees a year, across Yemen's mountains, slopes and agricultural terraces, he added.
For Yemen, the effort is about more than increasing production. It is also an attempt to reclaim a centuries-old place in global coffee history.
Coffee grown in Yemen's highlands was once shipped through the Red Sea port of Mocha to overseas markets, eventually giving the port's name to one of the world's most familiar coffee terms.
Al-Qasimi estimated that around 250,000 people work across the coffee sector, including farmers, intermediaries and traders, while more than 276 companies, projects and entrepreneurs have entered the industry in recent years.
Yemeni coffee is now sold in Gulf countries, the United States, Europe and Asia, with producers looking to expand into more international markets.
"We are trying to bring Yemeni coffee back to local and international markets," said Ghaleb Al-Emadi, owner of the Haraz Coffee Center. The center has worked since 2016 to promote the identity and distinctive flavor of Yemeni coffee internationally, he said.
Producers are also seeking to capitalize on the premium reputation of Yemeni beans.
At a national coffee auction, a kilogram of coffee sold for as much as 976 U.S. dollars, Al-Qasimi said, underscoring the value that exceptional Yemeni varieties can command.
But getting that coffee to overseas buyers remains a major challenge.
Years of conflict in Yemen have disrupted roads, ports and trade routes, and driven up transportation costs, making it harder for coffee producers to connect directly with international markets.
Al-Qasimi said the cost of sending a one-kilogram coffee sample overseas has risen from around 20 U.S. dollars to as much as 120 U.S. dollars, while delivery times have increased dramatically.
A sample that once reached an overseas customer within three days can now take between 20 and 30 days. Larger shipments that previously arrived within a week can now take three to four months.
"The demand is there. The difficult part is getting our coffee to the customer," Al-Qasimi said. ■
