Jetwing to venture into coffee production

Sri Lanka’s Jetwing Hotels is eyeing to venture into coffee production with its own brand, after having entered into small-scale coffee cultivation. 
“We are also looking at how we can produce our own coffee as a company but also how we can work with our local suppliers,” Jetwing Hotels Managing Director Dmitri Cooray revealed. 
Jetwing has already started planting coffee in Welimada and one other property, according to him.
The homegrown hotel chain currently serves locally sourced coffee throughout its hotels. 
As most of the coffee producers are small-time holders, Cooray highlighted that the backing of donor originations such as Australia-funded Market Development Facility is critical to support these players to rejuvenate coffee in Sri Lanka.

He pointed out that the comeback of Ceylon Coffee is not only driven by tourists but also with a significant interest among Sri Lankans. 
“For a long time, Sri Lankan coffee was of cheap quality but now you see there are very exclusive products; different roasting methods are used. The coffee culture and in Colombo and down south so many factories are opening up. So, you see a really good interest taken by not only foreigners but also Sri Lankans themselves,” he elaborated.  Sri Lanka has about 2000 cafes serving quality coffee.
He is hopeful that the measures would help the country to regain its former glory as a major coffee growing nation. 
(NF)