The production of special coffees strengthens in Manabí

Ecuadornews:

The fog and rain embrace the more than 60,000 arabica coffee plantations obatã vermelho and amarelho (red and yellow), which are grown in the community of Las Piñas, in the Manta canton.

Juan Delgado, of Puerto Rican origin, bet with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) for the production of this differentiated coffee, whose first harvest came out last November.

Delgado affirms that the results are flattering for him and also for this state portfolio that drives, in addition to this production in Manta, other crops of gourmet and organic coffee in the province.

The businessman says that after several tests, coffee obatã in his two presentations had a score of 83, according to the table promoted by the American Association of Specialty Coffee determining the special combination of acidity and sweet of this first harvest.

But the idea is to improve the production system so that the score goes up, he explains.

Delgado has already chosen the name of his product that appears in the manabitas mountains: Dos Monos. It plans to export it to Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the United States; a large percentage will stay in Ecuador.

It will be called that because the sector is a habitat for howler monkeys and monkeys, as well as guantas and guacharacas. Even people who come to visit the plantation can see how these primates swing in the trees.

In Santa Ana, another Manabi canton, the Peasant Association of Coffee Growers June 29 cultivates arabica coffee in the specialties of sarchimor, acawá and caturra.

In 2018, this union received food importing companies worldwide, such as Zonsor Group, of Spain, and Caravela, created by Colombians, but based in the United States.

Delegates of both were in Santa Fe territory to know the system of production and post-harvest process of the grain.

The first acquired 110 quintals and the other 200.

“(Caravela) bought a differentiated coffee, at a fair price for us; they brought all their equipment and did internships in the territory, because they came to know where the coffee came from, how we did the process, tasting and quality tests, “said Leandro Barreto, president of the association, adding that the expectation is that The next acquisition of this multinational company is a container with 400 quintals.

This differentiated coffee, explains Juvián Cedeño, official of the MAG in the area of ​​post-harvest and commercial management in all Manabí, is the one that presents an optimum sensory level of maturity and that must be with a certain percentage of degree brix, which indicates the amount of soluble solids present in some substance. In the case of this coffee, it must have a percentage higher than 22 brix degrees, which is verified with a refractometer.

Cedeño said that next week Barreto and two other producers will travel to Italy to be part of a training promoted by the European Union and the Latin American International Organization, and to acquire knowledge on topics such as coffee tasting. (I)

Source: https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2019/01/14/nota/7137980/produccion-cafes-especiales-toma-fuerza