In October, we introduced you to the first producer in our new “Producer Plots” series – Rene J. Alcebo. You can read the first installment, here.
Rene has been busy completing some projects on his farm to ensure that he has more control over post-harvest processing practices to continuously improve the quality of his coffee. For his wet mill, Rene is custom building the de-pulper which will automatically sort the beans by size. The pulp will be repurposed as fertilizer.
He has also been hard at work speaking to different importers in the United States, marketing his coffee and establishing relationships with potential buyers. Rene has explored the option of importing the coffee himself as well – learning the ins and outs of required documentation and associated costs.
All this is no easy feat as Rene does split his time between his coffee endeavors in Nicaragua and his business in New Orleans. He is exploring different certifications and doing his research to understand how these certifications may drive consumer demand – and what seems to be the right investment for his business model.
When it comes to the actual coffee – things are looking bright. He is starting to see some cherries maturing and he plans on having his wet mill and shade covered screen beds done just in time for this harvest. He is putting his focus on the Parainema varietal and a blend which will be Parainema, Catuai and Bourbon. He expects a higher cupping score and more complex profile from these two lots when he submits them to be Q Graded by a CQI In-Country Partner.
Although this year has presented some challenges, Rene is focused on the quality of his coffee, his marketing efforts and paperwork to ensure he is in a better position to get things up and running next year. He is also considering purchasing more land adjacent to his farm to increase his production.
Interested in being a featured producer? Email Brit to submit your story – bamell@coffeeinstitute.org
For more information on having your coffee evaluated through the Q Coffee System, by an In-Country Partner, click here.
