480,154 bags of coffee were exported until July

The Reactivation Plan for Coffee, a proposal promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (Magap) since 2011, managed to increase productivity in 70,000 of the 94,000 hectares cultivated in the country.

Javier Villacis, the project manager, indicated that the yield per hectare reaches eight quintals of arabica coffee, and 11 of robusta coffee, and in particular areas of the country, the yield ranges from 30 to 40 quintals.

He explained that they stopped the crisis knocking down and reseeding the coffee areas in the country, because “they had an obsolete technology and the worse production.”

“We imported seeds, delivered fertilizers, and kits for controlling pests and diseases, we also hired 300 agronomists. With this measures, from this year, the fall of coffee stopped, and a recover with a production of around 500,000 bags is expected at the end of this year. Last year less than 300,000 were produced,” he said.

Villacis foresees that the sector will record a production of 2,000,000 bags of coffee in four years. A few days ago, the Deputy Agriculture Minister Luis Valverde said that several countries in the world recognize the public policies implemented by the Government, through the Magap, as the Reactivation Plan for Coffee and Cocoa.