The Crisis Behind The Rising Price Of Your Local Coffee - Free Websites, Share News And Posts Publicly

Good morning.

If, like me, you can’t do without your morning coffee, you might have noticed a cuppa has been getting more expensive.

So we sent Talking Point host Steven Chia, also a coffee lover, on a mission to find out what’s behind the rise in local coffee prices.

The investigation led our team to Indonesia, the largest supplier of coffee to Singapore. It was one of the most gruelling overseas assignments for Steven, who had to work on a coffee farm for 2 days.

He developed a newfound appreciation for his cuppa, after “going from tree to tree under the scorching sun, plucking coffee cherries”.

But also, he said: “I found out firsthand how extreme weather destroyed coffee cherries, affecting yield; and how years of poor farming practices have affected the arability of soil. I was shocked to see that many coffee farmers have switched or resorted to planting other crops to supplement their meagre income.”

In part 2, we explore a new variety of arabica beans that could be a game-changer for all. It’s resilient against prolonged heavy rains or drought – but will you like the taste? We get coffee experts to test.

Speaking of which, have you caught our resident ‘Mr Try Guy’ Steven on a durian diet for 2 weeks to see what it does to his body? We actually discovered how healthy durians can be!

From coffee to durians, if there’s anything else you want us to investigate, drop us a note at TalkingPoint@mediacorp.com.sg

Imelda Saad

Executive Producer, Talking Point