Peruvian+Coffee

= Peruvian Coffee =

Peru is known to be on one of the top 20 coffee producers in the world. Even though the country is a worldwide leader in coffee production in 1895, most of the coffee is consumed domestically. It was not until a couples years later, the country started exporting this good. Coffee planting began and it still being cultivated near the port of Pacasmayo. Coffee has also been produced in the south, in the districts of Sandia, Carabaya, and in the valleys of Chanchamayu, Viloc, and Huánuco. In the 1970s, large dry mills were constructed near ports. Having a transportation network along the Pacific was ideal. For a while the business model was more quantity over quality. This model changed when new modern methods of cultivation were introduced.

The most popular cooperative for the production of Peruvian coffee is Cenfrocafe. This cooperative contains more that 80 farm associations, as well are six dry mill processing and finishing associations. All of the coffee that is advertised by the association is produced at an elevation of 3,000 feet or above. About 92% of Peruvian coffee is organic and 100% is certified fair trade. Due to this, the demand of Peruvian coffee has increased throughout the world. The processing of coffee typically starts in wet mills that reduce the moisture in the beans by about 20%, then they are transported to the dry mills. However, this is unfavorable by the growing regions that are located in the north. This decentralized production system has even lead to quality inconsistencies, promotion of rot, and the growth of fungus.

There are three prominent growing regions in the eastern Andes: Chanchamayo, the Amazonas and San Matin areas, and the southern highlands. The dominate coffee crop is Arabic, a combination of 70% Typica, 20% caturra, and the remaining 10% is a combination of other types. About 75% of the coffee is grown at an elevations between 3,300 to 5,900 feet, and planting is done in the shade with about 2,000 plants per hectares. Most of the farming is done by small farms where the coffee is handpicked. Coffee production has expanded greatly. In 1893 about 1,500 tons were produced, and in 2013 the country produced 256,241 tons. In that year, an estimated 6,414 hectograms per hectare were produced. The main countries of export are, but not limited to, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Colombia, and Sweden. However, international consumption was only about 10% of the coffee was produced.

By: McKayla Holmes