El Barrancon 2017 - Honduras 2017 Verified listing

JOSÉ SANTOS GUEVARA LÓPEZ

LOT# 9

Farm: El Barrancon

Farmer: José Santos Guevara

Farm’s name and location:

El Barrancon farm is located in Zacate Blanco community in the municipality of Santa Ana, Department of La Paz. It has an altitude of 1735 meters above sea level.

What is your farm’s history? Is your farm a family unit? How long has it belonged to your family? How many members make up your family?

I began to produce coffee in 2002, I saw my friends that produced coffee and they were successful, that motivated me to planted 1 hectare. I have 4 children and we depend of coffee production.

How many persons work in your farm, family members, permanent employees and temporary employees?

I manage my farm and hire some persons to help me for weeding, fertilizing and pruning and during the harvest I hire almost 15 persons to pick the cherries.

What natural resources conservation practices do you follow in the farm?

I planted life barriers with different species of trees.

What is the shade percentage and the varieties found in your farm?

Because the height I have just 15% of shade.

What type of fertilization process and rust control do you use in your farm?

I fertilize at least twice per year. I use the fertilizer that IHCAFE promotes to have a complete nutrition in the farm and get a good yield. I make preventive control for coffee rust, I use the product that IHCAFE recommend to fight this fungus, but we don’t have many problems with coffee rust because the height.

What type of management do you use in your farm (traditional, semi-technical, and technical?)

My farm is managed in a semi-technical way.

Are you part of an association or cooperative?

No, I am an individual farmer.

What is the secret for winning this competition (describe the preparation process of the competing lot)?

First we pick just ripe cherries, the wet milling is done with clean water. I left to ferment the coffee for 14 – 16 hours and then I wash the coffee until to eliminate all the mucilage. The drying is done in solar driers for about 15 days.

How does it feel to be a winner of the Cup of Excellence?

I am very happy, I can’t express with words how blessed and happy I feel.

Who prepares your coffee for exportation? (Explain how you sell it and to whom)?

This is going to be my first time exporting coffee.

What is your opinion of the Cup of Excellence?

I think is the best program in IHCAFE that allow to the farmer get into the international market. I had always dreamed to sell my coffee in the international market and have a long relationship with the buyers and this is the first step to my dreams come true.

What has been your experience in the Cup of Excellence?

It is my first time as a participant in COE and I got the 9^th place.

The coffee’s characteristics in the Cup of Excellence: