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The best coffee "in the middle" of aspirations

In the central region of our archipelago, the largest quantities of cherry trees do not exist, but the conditions do exist for the exquisite quality to flourish

The best coffee "in the middle" of aspirations
04 Feb 2021

Having a good cup of coffee, especially in the morning, is one of the most popular customs among Cubans, which became rooted in our traditions from the advance that the cultivation of this grain had on the island, promoted by settlers French who arrived here, after the outbreak of the independence Revolution in Haiti. As a result of that event, an incessant migratory flow to Cuba began, which led to settlements in eastern and central Cuban areas; In addition to in the Sierra del Rosario, by offering these areas favorable height, temperature and humidity indexes to develop coffee planting. Various sources consulted assure that Cuba's record in coffee production was achieved in 1961, with 60,330 tons of gold coffee. However, as of that date and for various reasons, including population exodus, technological indiscipline in planting and cultivation, resource limitations, non-stimulating prices, in addition to the effects of hurricanes. and droughts, the harvests have been declining, reaching the current meager yields. For several years, it has been trying to implement a strategy aimed at reversing the situation suffered by coffee production, which does not exceed 10,000 tons, with the aim of satisfying the growing national demand (estimated at 24,000 tons) and converting this product in an exportable item. Gold coffee, of the best quality Known is the exquisite quality of the coffee produced in the mountains of the Guamuhaya massif, which covers three central provinces of Cuba: Cienfuegos, Villa Clara and Sancti Spíritus, where a bean is obtained that is highly valued in the international market for its exceptional characteristics, in special of the arabica variety. For various reasons, 2020 was not the year that many expected in terms of the growth of the coffee program in the Cienfuegos and Villa Clara mountains, mainly due to the damage caused by tropical storms Laura and Eta, which with their winds and rains they wreaked havoc on crops and the grain harvesting process. In the mountainous area of ??Villa Clara, for example, around 8,000 cans reached their peak of maturity when Eta hit, part of whose production was lost in the mud and humidity. However, in that area the delivery target was met, which was 150 tons, despite not being met in the case of the Arabica species, which only reached 82% of the estimate, according to statements by Osvel Rodríguez Rodríguez, Head of Production of the Jibacoa Agroforestry Company. Similar situation presented the grain production in the Cienfuegos portion corresponding to the Guamuhaya Massif, where in the most recent year they reached 126 tons, a figure below the planned goal. In order to change the face of the coffee growing areas in both territories, the plantations that accumulated a lot of exploitation time and were aged are renewed, according to the reorganization scheme designed by comprehensive technicians and agronomy professionals, such as as occurs in the Eladio Machín Coffee Processing Company, in the municipality of Cumanayagua. Omar Bermúdez Sánchez, general director of the aforementioned entity, explains that, currently, 75% of the plantations are young, and another 25% remains to be transformed, a task that must conclude in 2022, in addition to working on the sum of new areas with the purpose of increasing, year after year, the productive levels, which are still very low. In the case of the Villa Clara Escambray, they currently have 1,318 hectares planted, most of which are already in production, a figure that should continue to grow in the coming years, from the planting of varieties with higher yields and resistance to pests and diseases. . Recovering coffee from science It is proven that if the long-awaited coffee recovery in the nation is to be achieved, the shortest and least stony path is the use of science and innovation, for which it is vital to use the extraordinary flow of technologies and research created by centers such as the Experimental Station of Coffee, of Jibacoa, and the Institute of Plant Biotechnology (IBP), among other institutions that in the country are dedicated to this objective. Thus, for example, the IBP, a center belonging to the "Marta Abreu" Central University of Las Villas, is currently developing a new project for the recovery of coffee by promoting somatic embryogenesis, according to the fact that more than 70% of plantations in the country show signs of aging.


Similar work is being carried out by the Agroforestry Experimental Station, located in Jibacoa, where various experiments are carried out in search of varieties and technologies that increase yields and help to deal with pests and diseases, especially the CBB, which has caused so much damage. to the coffee trees. The center, which has the largest coffee germplasm bank, constitutes a genetic pool of commercial varieties and clones that need to be multiplied from existing biotechnology laboratories in Cuba. There, young researchers, specialists and technicians work on the regeneration of plants from the bank, which makes it possible to extend them to the production chain and comply with the state commission of the Agroforestry Research Institute, assigned to the scientific institution as the rector of the production activity. of certified seeds. Following this advice, new type seed banks have already been established with seeds from the season, taking into account the varietal structure and its standards, of which the basic cooperative production unit (UBPC) La Herradura is a good example, in the Escambray Villa Clara, where certified seed of the best quality is produced. The production of organic fertilizers, from the residues of the coffee processing; the introduction of efficient microorganisms, the use of various local organic substrates to replace fertilizers for the production of seedlings in tubes and the reduction of the acidity of the soils, also occupy the researchers of the scientific center of the mountain. In this regard, Modesto Robaina, administrator of La Herradura, highlights the qualities of the only nursery with a score of varieties of high yield and genetic bearing, which facilitates the renewal of coffee plantations and productive growth. With the advice of the Jibacoa Experimental Station, the Cienfuegos producer Jesús Alberto Chaviano Ruiz built what is today the best seed bank on the Island, by having eight varieties of arabic coffee resistant to pests and diseases, which satisfy the local production demand and that of other provinces, with yields greater than one ton of golden coffee (ready for export) per hectare. “The work, said the producer, is intense to aspire to good results. Here the areas are identified, fenced and isolated from each other, because there can be no crossings or varietal mixing. It is hard work, to collect, to process, but the prices of the seeds favor us. The kilogram (kg) rose to 415 pesos and a worker earns around 240 per day, as we pay 60 per can, ”the producer details. According to the explanation of Osniel Villa Palacio, technical director of Eladio Machín, in Cumanayagua, «this has allowed us to have quality positions. Our coffee plantations are made with seed of basic origin, certified, the best that can be obtained ». It is no coincidence that, despite the still limited production volumes, Cienfuegos ranks as the largest producer of Arabica coffee of exportable range and leads the industrial performance in the country. The current year could mark a takeoff in the implementation of other actions such as the development of coffee in the plains of Remedios and Camajuaní, in Villa Clara, as well as in the settlement of El Mango, in Cumanayagua, in addition to other territories that, in both provinces work so that the best quality coffee flourishes in their lands.


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