Jesus Chaviano dreams of adding his arabica coffee to the list of specialties that Cuba hopes will revive a declining industry.
October is the harvest season on Chaviano’s eight-hectare plantation in Guamuaya, the fertile hilly region of central Cuba. His 42,000 coffee trees are bearing ripe red fruit alongside avocado and banana trees.
Located at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level, the climate and soil here create ideal conditions for 8 types of high-quality arabica coffee beans planted by Chaviano himself.
Coffee has been grown in Cuba for nearly 300 years, but has never produced a specialty that is loved around the world. Meanwhile, premium coffee has become increasingly attractive in the international market over the past 20 years, leading to skyrocketing prices.
“I think this is the way we need to go: pursuing specialty coffee. Do not plant massively, but only grow a little and sell well,” said Chaviano, 46-year-old farmer.
The first five types of specialty coffees will be introduced at the first Cuban coffee producers’ fair in Santiago de Cuba, the country’s eastern city, in December. Names and origins of coffees kept secret.
“We are taking the first concrete steps to add value to coffee,” said Ramon Ramos, scientific director of the Cuban Agroforestry Research Institute.
He said that with the same output, where it is grown, specialty coffees will be sold at a much higher price. Commercial coffee prices are around $4,000-5,000/ton, while a kilogram of specialty coffee can be sold for $10,000.
According to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), a coffee to be considered a specialty must be assessed by a certified professional and scored more than 80 points on a 100-point scale. The rating score determines the price. of coffee. “This is the future,” said Chaviano.
In 1960, Cuba produced more than 60,000 tons of coffee. Last year, this figure was 11,500 tons, less than half of the domestic consumption. Only 1,365 tons were exported.
Experts say climate change is drastically reducing the world’s coffee growing area, partly to blame for the decline in coffee production. In Cuba, the migration trend of plantation workers also impacted industry.
“Why is it that a country that used to produce a lot of coffee cannot now produce coffee?” Chaviano wondered. “I am focused on what needs to be done, proving that it is possible to produce and grow high quality coffee, but I have to put my mind to it.”
In 2021, the coffee yield at his plantation is one ton per hectare, four times the national average. 25 kilometers from the farm, researchers at the Jibacoa Agroforestry Research Center are tasked with training and providing technical guidance to farmers to improve yields.
Ciro Sanchez, the center’s director, aims to help Cuban farmers produce 30,000 tons of coffee by 2030. To achieve this goal, Cuba needs to renovate several plantations in areas affected by climate change. climate by growing more resistant coffee varieties. He also wants to prioritize the development of high-quality arabica coffee in the mountains.
Chaviano is optimistic that his coffee will one day be one of the famous specialty brands exported from Cuba.
“We can do it. We just need to work hard,” he said.
