El Aguacate 2017 - Honduras 2017 Verified listing

LEONEL DIAZ CASTAÑEDA

LOT# 15

Farm: El Aguacate

Farmer: Leonel Diaz Castañeda

Farm’s name and location:

El Aguacate farm is located in Samaria community in the municipality of San Jeronimo, Department of Comayagua. It has an altitude of 1680 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?

Leonel inherited the farm from his father, as he has always been involved in coffee production. Now that he is in charge of the farm he has been following IHCAFE technical recommendations to improve his production, and quality. My family is formed by my wife and one daughter. 

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

I just hire people to do the maintenance activities of the farm. During the harvest I have to hire at least 15 people to picking the cherries.

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

I have my coffee in an agro-forest system to protect the soil and the vegetal cover.

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

We keep 15% of shade in the plantation, due to the height is not recommended to have more shade.

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

I fertilize twice a year with Formula Cafetalera (18-6-12), I don’t have problems with coffee rust because Lempira is a resistant variety.

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

It is technical because we apply the complete technology package that give us IHCAFE.

Are you part of an association or cooperative?

No, I am a single producer.

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

First the farm location, it has the best conditions to produce a good quality coffee, we have implemented good agronomic practices in the field process. The picking is made when the cherries are ripe, milling is made the same day with pure water that comes to the mountain. And finally the dried process is made in African beds (solar driers) which preserve the quality avoiding the contamination of the coffee.

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

Is my best successful as producer, I am happy to see that all the effort of the people that work with me and my own is rewarded and now the coffee world know what kind of coffee we can produce.

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

The last two year I have sold my coffee to international buyers, my coffee is prepared by CACTRIL.

What is your opinion of the Cup of Excellence?

I think is a best quality program of IHCAFE, really is a good opportunity to improve our practices and process to enter to international markets.  

What has been your experience in the Cup of Excellence?

I have participated in two competitions of the Cup of Excellence, and in my second attempt I got the first place.

The property’s characteristics:

The coffee’s characteristics in the Cup of Excellence:

Farm: El Aguacate

Farmer: Leonel Diaz Castañeda

Place: 15

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION

Latitude 14°34'51.31"

Longitude 87°30'34.80"

Village: Samaria

Municipality: San Jeronimo

Department:  Comayagua

Region: Comayagua

Country: Honduras

Farm size: 1.2 hectares

Area for growing coffee: 1.2 hectares

Amount of coffee produced annually: 52 qq green coffee.

Varieties in the farm: Lempira

Altitude: 1680 meter above sea level

Certifications: No