This is Part 2 (Part 1 here) of our trip from Tarapoto to Villa Rica, and then onto San Ramon (and then to Lima.) In search of specialty coffee, and to participate in the Curibamba Coffee workshops for growers in the communities above San Ramon Peru.
Continue reading Tarapoto to Villa Rica – A Long Strange Coffee Trip (Part 2)
Peruvian exports continue to show weakness this year with May showing a fairly dramatic decline.
In May, Peruvian exports totaled US $2,462 million, a decrease of US $569 million (-19%) compared to 2014.
One of the national treasures of Peru is the Huascaran National Park. Today marks the 40th anniversary of the creation of the park. Happy 40th! Enjoy these photos via El Comercio Peru:
One ongoing problem in Peru is illegal mining and logging. Many once virgin rainforest areas have been devastated by clear cutting. As the forest is cut, biodiversity diminishes dramatically and is accompanied by a loss in wildlife and also results in loss of air and water quality, not just in the immediate area, but throughout the entire watershed.
Part of a sustainable future for coffee farmers is recognizing that working with nature vs clear cutting accompanied by composting residual crop waste as opposed to burning is the best way to maintain soil stability (critical on the hillsides,) and preserve nutrients over the long term.
Some areas are being restored according to this report via Peru This week:
Continue reading San Martín forest restored after illegal logging and coca planting
The last week or so had been a series of trips to internet cafes & “locutorios” (where one can make phone calls.) In between the details of organizing a coffee buy, we did manage to enjoy one of favorite places in the world – Tarapoto.
It’s been somewhat frustrating to try and post on the blog. I picked up some malware in one café, and was afraid to log on and compromise the site.
Alas, duty calls and we’re off again (and off the computer again too.) We left Tarapoto in order to get to Villa Rica, and the Chacra D’dago to get some more samples and confirm our final order there, meet some new potential suppliers, and make our way to San Ramon for the second series of Curibamba Workshops this weekend. We’re also making arrangements for the distribution of solar coffee drying tents to the growers in the Curibamba Coffee Project.
It’s a two day journey via land, and there isn’t really any airport option short of flying back to Lima, and then flying to Jauja, which is still several hours to Villa Rica by bus or car. (As an afterthought – flying would have been worth it!) We’re finalizing our purchase of some wonderful coffees that we’ve tested, and visit with our friends, and make some new ones.
(For more on Tarapoto see here, for more on Chacra D’dago, see here.)
Here’s what it’s like to travel in Peru to the more remote provinces: Continue reading Tarapoto to Villa Rica – A Long Strange Coffee Trip (Part 1)
The Executive Branch issued Supreme Decree No. 008-2015 of the Ministry of Environment official the creation of the Regional Conservation Area Maijuna Kichwa. This comes after representatives of native communities in the basin of the Napo River in Loreto, announced that they would sue the government for the delay in the enactment, which has already waited for two years.
Continue reading Kichwa Maijuna Conservation Area in Loreto Is Made Official
June is flying by, and we’re busy with all of the details of buying green coffee beans. Cupping coffee is the first step in deciding which coffees to purchase, which ones to pass for this year, while trying to encourage the growers to continue improving quality.
Continue reading Real People, Really Good Coffee Update June 2015
Yesterday, we cupped some coffee samples that we had been awaiting in order to make our final decisions as to which coffees to import to the US this year. For those who have never “cupped” (taste tested) coffee before, here’s a glimpse into what it’s like:
While in Miraflores, be sure to stop by and see Kennedy Park, also known as one of the “Parques de Los Gatos” (Parks of the Cats.) Loaded with unwanted & abandoned cats, cat loving volunteers have worked to insure their health. Each cat is vaccinated & over 35 pounds of food are fed them every day. Here’s a look at the park…
Continue reading The Cats of Kennedy Park – Miraflores
From an article in Gestion Peru: (Via Google Translate & authors correction)
Peruvian coffee exports totaled 40,371 bags in April, down 9.7% from the 44.685 bags of the same month last year, according to the Peruvian Chamber of Coffee and Cacao.
In the first four months of the year, exports fell 64% to 160,584 from 443,481 bags in the same period of 2014, said Luis Navarro, president of the group based in Lima. Each bag weighs 60 kg or 132 lbs.
According to figures from the Chamber, shipments in 2015 showed the slowest pace since at least 2005.
They (exports) experienced a drop amid low stocks remaining from the previous season, while the rains delayed the harvest that began last month and usually reaches its peak in July.
Peru is the third largest coffee producer in South America, after Brazil and Colombia.
Source: Exportaciones peruanas de café (Gestion via Google Translate)
