The Madan Plantation sits roughly 20 kilometers outside Mount Hagen, the Western Highlands Province’s largest city (at about 40,000 people). The estate was developed by an Australian on marsh land acquired from the government in the 1960’s. After living on and managing the farm for many years, the estate developer retired to Australia in the 1990’s. Over the next several years, Madan was managed by a number of different entities until it was finally acquired by Highlands Arabicas Limited in 2003. Madan is one of the few privately-owned coffee estates in Papua New Guinea and is widely considered one of the gems of the nation's coffee industry.
The plantation is 320 hectares (791 acres), with three strains of Arabica coffee under cultivation: Typica - Blue Mountain (90%), Arusha (6%), and Mundo Novo (4%). The farm has modern wet and dry milling facilities, ample nurseries, and sufficient housing for both seasonal and full-time employees. Highlands Arabicas is always in the process of improving upon the infrastructure and business processes of the farm to improve its efficiency and effectiveness, as well as constantly seeking ways to minimize its overall environmental impact. In addition to coffee, approximately 50 hectares of the farm is currently under tea production (primarily for regional markets).
The plantation and mill employ well over 500 people during the harvest season and roughly 400 during the off-season/"fly-crop" season. Because of its altitude and tropical climate, the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea produces a year-round "fly-crop" of coffee, though the primary harvest season spans from February to June.
