Spanning mountains and seas, Henan's coffee industry connects the world by "linking beans into a chain".
On January 11th, in Bufumbo Village at the foot of Uganda's Wanale Hill, grower Gidudu Sulait bustled among the coffee trees. "I have an unprecedented expectation for the coffee bean harvest season this May".
His confidence stems from the achievements of Henan enterprises going global.
The coffee tree leaves brushed by Gidudu's fingertips had just been sprayed with foliar fertilizer provided by Henan Loxowo Biological Technology Co.,Ltd. (referred to as Loxowo). It was this product that led to a significant increase in yield and a 30% rise in the quality rate for Gidudu's 2.08-acre experimental field last year. What reassures Gidudu even more is that all the coffee beans from the experimental field have been purchased by Huichuan Industry Development (Henan) Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Huichuan Industry") and processed into naturally aromatic freeze-dried coffee products sold globally.
The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China clearly proposed the high-quality joint construction ofthe Belt and Road Initiative. As a major agricultural province, Henan has actively integrated into the new development pattern, with broad cooperation prospects in the agricultural sector with Africa.
Henan, which does not produce coffee beans, is forging a complete industrial chain "from coffee tree to coffee cup", exploring a replicable and sustainable new path for China-Africa agricultural cooperation.
"The per capita annual coffee consumption in China is steadily increasing, and consumers are shifting from 'simply drinking' to 'valuing origin'," said Wang Shuiyong, chairman of Huichuan Industry. This judgment is based on his in-depth insight into the coffee industry. As the largest cold-brew freeze-dried coffee production base in China and the builder of Henan's first China-Africa coffee industry cooperation demonstration park, Huichuan Industry has integrated a complete industrial chain from roasting and cold brewing to freeze-drying. This high level of integration gives it unique advantages in China and the capability to penetrate global production regions.
For this reason, it was imperative for Huichuan Industry to link up with Uganda. Currently, Ugandan coffee beans are still a niche in China's domestic market, but they are recognized as premium beans by senior enthusiasts.
Last year, Huichuan Industry, in conjunction with China Henan International Cooperation Organization (CHICO), achieved direct supply of Ugandan coffee beans to Henan for the first time. However, problems emerged during production: these coffee beans varied in color, size, shape and quality, leading to unstable flavor of the finished products, which ran counter to the requirements of food industry standardization.
How to break this deadlock? "Develop planting bases at the origin in Uganda and streamline the supply chain," Wang Shuiyong stated with conviction. Successful Henan enterprises going global such as Mixue Ice Cream & Tea have proven that only by mastering a mature and robust supply chain can one gain the right to define standards in global competition.
"When I first visited Huichuan Industry the year before last, I saw a type of coffee bean divided into six grades in the exhibition hall. At that time, I thought that if the two enterprises joined forces, we could create a 'secret weapon' to improve the premium rate of African coffee beansand make the entire process from planting to production and processing of coffee beans traceable and standardized," said Li Jian, Head of Overseas Sales at Loxowo, whose idea also camefrom professional intuition gained from in-depth frontline experience.
From vegetable greenhouses in Shouguang, Shandong, to orchards in Hainan, Loxowo has long been accustomed to "formulating" customized solutions in biotechnology, water-soluble fertilizers, and microbial agents based on different soils and crops, helping farmers achieve increased incomeby "gaining the benefit of three mu of land by planting two mu" (mu: a traditional Chinese unit of area. 1 mu ≈666.67 square meters). As a national high-tech enterprise, Loxowo has also extended its experience to Africa, and its experimental field at Egerton University in Kenya has been recognized by local agricultural authorities.
"Although coffee beans are not native to China, Henan can still excel in the coffee industry," said Li Longwei, Chairman of Loxowoand an avid coffee lover. "Our company registered the 'Sike' coffee trademark as early as 2017. In recent years, Huichuan Industry has emerged as a new force in the cold-brew freeze-dried coffee track, which has sparked my new imagination for the coffee industry."
From Luohe to Puyang, Loxowoand Huichuan Industry forged a bond over coffee, joining hands to go global and cultivate this fertile soil.
Last April, the vision of these two Henan enterprises materialized into a six-acre experimental field in Uganda, with Gidudu's plot included. The full-cycle plan "customized" by the Henan teammade Gidudu truly feel China's green technological capabilities and refined management capabilities: precise nutrition supplementation through foliar fertilizer enhanced the photosynthesis of coffee trees and improved their resistance to drought and pests; there is no worry any more about finding buyers, as the coffee beans had an order-based "recovery" mechanism.
"Last year, we took a small step, and this year, we will take a big one. We are determined to bring effective 'Henan experience' to Uganda and extend Gidudu's story on a broader scale," shared Wang Shuiyong and Li Longwei as their common vision.
On January 9th, Huichuan Industry and Loxowo signed a strategic cooperation memorandum in Puyang, agreeing to deepen and promote the joint coffee project in Uganda—upstream, they will root themselves in Ugandan fields, promoting organic planting techniques to enhance raw bean quality from the source; downstream, they will focus on deep processing and brand building, directly transforming origin flavors into market-preferred products, strengthening the defense line for food safety, and aligning with the upgrading trend of domestic coffee consumption.
January in Uganda is dry and warm, with sunlight always bathing Gidudu's coffee fields. On the other side of the globe, the same light shines on the orderly production lines in Henan's factories. From tree to bean, from bean to cup, "Henan Coffee" is thriving towards the sun. (Henan Daily Reporters: Wang Yanhui, Zhang Xiaojing; Translator: Hong Jianyuan)
