El Guayabo 2017 - Honduras 2017 Verified listing

MARIO ALEXIS MORENO LEIVA

LOT# 3

Farm: El Guayabo

Farmer: Mario Alexis Moreno Leiva

Farm’s name and location:

El Guayabo farm is located in El Cedral community in the municipality of Las Vegas, Department of Santa Bárbara. It has an altitude of 1650 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?

Mario belongs a traditional coffee producer family: Moreno Family. Don Daniel, his father began to produce coffee since 1980 traditional way. In 2005 the oldest brother in the family, Miguel, began to participate in COE with good success and behind

him

the rest of the brothers and cousins began to participate too. Mario Moreno had to work very hard to have his

farm,

after to work 5 years in

United States

as

immigrant

and save enough money, in 2010 he returned to Honduras and bought his first plot of land, El Guayabo farm and planted coffee following the steps of his brother Miguel.

Mario and his wife have four children, three girls and a boy whose depend

economically of

the coffee production. Mario has 2.5 hectares of coffee in total to maintain his family.

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

As a

full time

coffee producer, Mario is in charge of the maintenance of his farm,

eventually

he

hire

three temporary employees for weeding,

fertilization

and pruning. During the

harvest

all the family

is involve

to pick the cherries and they need the help to 20 – 25 temporary pickers in order to have a homogeneous harvest.

What

natural resources conservation practices do

you follow

in

the farm?

Plantain is used as life barriers and when the plantain trees die, Mario

use

them as compost.

What

is

the shade percentage and the varieties found

in

your farm?

He just

use

plantain trees as shade.

What type of fertilization process and rust control do you use

in

your farm?

Mario

fertilize

three times per year, using different fertilizers that are recommended by technicians of IHCAFE or suppliers companies.

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

Mario’s farm is a semi-technical type.

Are you part of an association or cooperative?

He is participating by himself.

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

One the most important thing is to pick the cherries ripe, we select all the cherries and eliminate

non ripe

ones. Depulping is done the same day the cherries have been picked, and after 12-15 hours of

fermentation

I wash my coffee with fresh water from the mountain. I let the coffee rest in clean water for 8 – 12 hours to remove any mucilage remains before to start the dry process. The dried is done under shade for 15 – 17 days in African beds.

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

I am very satisfied to be a winner. I could show my coffee is very consistent because I won the 4^th place last year and I hope following to improving, my goal

is win

COE.

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

San Vicente Exporter I work with to export my coffee.

What is your opinion of the Cup of Excellence?

COE has been the best platform to make me known by buyers and to improve my

familiy’s

wellness. With the sale I made last year, I managed to buy other plot and I planted it with Coffee. I am very grateful

with

God and COE program.

What has been your experience in the Cup of Excellence?

This is my third time participating in COE. I got the 16th, 4th,

3th

places respectively.

The property’s characteristics:

The coffee’s characteristics in the Cup of Excellence: