The spin that the media is putting on it is a bit weird, but as a person who breeds grapes and is a botanical geek, I'm used to seeing strange press distortions of these kinds of things.

My understanding is that this species is not a cheaper producer at all. While it grows in hotter climates it producers lower volume and is harder to pick. Its value will be in breeding. Probably hybridizing with arabica.

Seems to me the excitement in this news, which has been doing the rounds for at least a couple of weeks now, is that the oft-threatened single species Arabica has a similarly-tasting 'backup' in case of a global coffee rust pandemic.

I think that means that there are a few labs with plants or seeds, but the discovery here is of a wild variety of the plant. Could be wrong.