Coffee harvest in full swing in Menglian, southwest China's Yunnan

A coffee grower picks coffee cherries in Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County, Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Hu Zunhui)

Coffee growers in Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County, Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province, began harvesting in October.

Menglian is a major specialty coffee-producing area in Pu'er. The county has 120,100 mu (about 8,000 hectares) of coffee plantations, 101,200 mu of which are being harvested. Another 80,000 mu have been developed for high and stable yields.

In the 2025/2026 season, specialty-grade coffee beans accounted for 73 percent of the county's output, the highest share in Yunnan for the fourth consecutive year.

More people are sharing in the coffee industry's gains. The local industry now spans 39 administrative villages across six towns and townships, benefiting more than 16,000 households and over 70,000 people.

Coffee-growing households earn an average of more than 40,000 yuan (about $6,000) a year. The industry has created over 3,000 local jobs and added an average of more than 90,000 yuan a year to each village's collective income.

A coffee grower picks coffee cherries in Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County, Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Hu Zunhui)

Photo shows ripe, red coffee cherries in Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County, Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Hu Zunhui)

Photo shows Qiao'an coffee estate in Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County, Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Hu Zunhui)

Photo shows Qiao'an coffee estate and adjoining coffee plantations in Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County, Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Hu Zunhui)

Photo shows coffee plantations of Qiao'an coffee estate in Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County, Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Hu Zunhui)