Farmer Jesus Chaviano displays his coffee beans at his plantation in Jibacoa, Villa Clara province, Cuba
HAVANA, Nov 18 (NNN-NEWVISION) — In the lush, fertile mountains of Cuba, farmer Jesus Chaviano dreams of adding his arabica beans to a list of specialty coffees the country hopes will lift industry in decline.
It’s harvest time on Chaviano’s eight-hectare plantation in the central Guamuaya mountain range, and his 42,000 coffee plants burst with ripe reddish fruit in the shadow of avocado and banana trees.
At 800 meters altitude, conditions are ideal for the eight varieties of high-quality arabica coffee beans he planted with his “own hands.”
While Cuba has been growing coffee for almost 300 years, it has never produced the specialty coffees beloved worldwide for their unique flavor profiles that come from careful cultivation in a specific terroir.
In the past two decades, the appeal of high-end coffee has soared, and so has its price on the international market.
“I think that needs to be the path we take: going after specialty coffees. Not large quantities… small batches that we can sell well,” said Chaviano, 46.
As the island catches on to the appeal of high-end coffee, the first five specialty coffees will be unveiled in December at the first-ever Cuba-Cafe producers fair, which is being held in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba.
The name and origins of the chosen coffees are kept secret.
“We are taking the first concrete steps to add value to this coffee,” said Ramon Ramos, the scientific director of Cuba’s National Institute for Agroforestry Research. He added that “with the same production, the same yield, it will be sold at a much higher price.”
According to Ramos, the price for 1,000 kilograms of commercial coffee varies between $4,000 and $5,000. Meanwhile, a kilogram of specialty coffee can sell for “up to $10,000.”
According to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), a coffee must score above 80 points on a 100-point scale to reach the required standard, after being evaluated by “a certified coffee taster.” — NNN-NEWVISION
