Last year the Kona region of Hawaii Island suffered through its worst drought since rainfall records have been kept. The Kealakekua weather station recorded only 31.8 inches of rain for 2010, as compared to an annual average of 75.0 inches. For a detailed report, read this US Department of Agriculture Hawaii crop weather report.
As a result, coffee production throughout Kona is significantly reduced — with the sharpest drop off (60% or more) at lower elevation farms. At Rancho Aloha, where our 2010 rainfall was 42.16 inches for 2010, coffee production was 34% below 2009.
Good News
Although the yield is down, skilled cuppers say there has been no reduction in the quality of this year’s Kona coffee crop.
Here at Rancho Aloha, our organic coffee from 2010 fully matches the award-winning flavor consistently demonstrated in prior years. We are also fortunate to be off to a good rainfall start to the new season — 2.67 inches of rainfall in December and 2.24 inches through mid-January.
That being said, we are counting on friends in the Pacific Northwest to continue sending rain our way…