Zuvaan Dhanduveriya's experimental farm produces Maldives’ first coffee cherries

For the first time in Maldives, coffee beans have been successfully grown on a coffee tree, marking a breakthrough in local agriculture.

Coffee beans have been successfully grown in Maldives by Abdulla Ramzy, known as ‘Zuvaan Dhanduveriyaa’.  

He posted on Facebook showing the coffee trees bearing fruit. Ramzy grew the coffee trees on his own farm in Meedhoo, Addu City.

Ramzy noted that coffee growing is challenging due to the soil and climate. Coffee is a crop that typically demands acidic soil, stable temperatures, and consistent moisture, conditions that are difficult to maintain in Maldivian islands. He spent months adjusting soil pH, protecting young plants from salt-spray, and ensuring they received balanced sunlight. However, the green coffee fruits on the trees made all the hard work sweet, he said in his post.

He shared photos and videos of the trees bearing fruit.  

Ramzy, an Ooredoo Maldives ambassador, first attracted people's attention from his farm with his dragon fruit trees. Some people buy the dragon fruit grown in the field by reserving it in advance. Many people also visit the field to take photos.

The coffee tree is usually grown in tropical areas. The plant grows best in climates that are neither cold nor excessively humid. In commercial cultivation, coffee cherries take six to nine months to mature, after which the beans inside are processed, dried, and roasted to develop flavour. Ramzy’s success means that this entire process, from flowering to fruiting, has now begun on Maldivian soil for the first time.

Various types of coffee are very popular in Maldives. Coffee is made by roasting the coffee beans on the trees.