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One of the world's best kept secrets is grown on the island of Atiu and if you are a coffee connisseur then a visit to the Cooks Islands would not be complete without a tour to their coffee mill.
Coffee has been grown on Rarotonga in the past and certainly had its beginnings there. But it's been part of Atiu's exports for as long as people remember. Once again, missionaries were responsible for this hidden treasure - they established it commercially in the early 19th century. Less than 60 years later, annual exports of coffee from the Cook Islands amounted to an amazing 30,000 pounds.
The islands' ariki (high chiefs) controlled the land used for planting and received most of the returns. The commoners often saw little if any reward for their labour. In the late 1890s, Rarotongan coffee production suffered due to a blight that affected the plants. Coffee production declined and had to rely more on crops from the outer islands Atiu, Mauke and Mangaia. World Wars I and II resulted in a further export reduction and eventual standstill. In the 1950s the co-operative movement in the Cook Islands resulted in the re-establishment of coffee as a cash crop. On Atiu, under the supervision of New Zealand Resident Agent Ron Thorby and the Cook Islands Agriculture Department, new coffee plantations were established.
The raw coffee was destined for export to New Zealand where it was processed and marketed. In 1983, the coffee industry had collapsed. Government stepped back and left the plantations to their landowners The poor financial return from selling their coffee to a Rarotongan company for processing had prompted the farmers to stop production except for their own private use. The plantations were overgrown with creepers.
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When Juergen Manske-Eimke settled on Atiu in 1983, the coffee industry had collapsed. Government stepped back and left the plantations to their landowners. The poor financial return from selling their coffee to a Rarotongan company for processing had prompted the farmers to stop production except for their own private use.
With the help of local shareholders and private savings, the Atiu Coffee Factory Ltd. was founded. In 1984, the processing machinery arrived. Months of hard work freeing the plantations (below) from weeds and a lot of trial and error followed until Atiu Coffee could be counted amongst the world's best coffees. Today, it is exported through mail order to private customers all over the world. Atiu Coffee is one of the last few coffees left in the world that is still organically grown and 100% sun dried.
You can purchase it on Rarotonga in the supermarkets and it is well worth the price asked for it.
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