The story of new varieties of Honduran coffee beans what are the varieties and characteristics of Honduran boutique coffee?

In addition, each of the six coffee growing areas in Honduras has at least two or three of the five major Arabica coffee varieties:

Bourbon

Kaddura

Iron pickup

Kaduai

Pacas

Lempira

IHCAFE-90

Parainema (Sarchimor type)

Common varieties of Honduran coffee

Instituto Hondure ñ o del IHCAFE is an organization that aims to promote the social and economic sustainability of coffee growers by promoting local coffee production. As part of their efforts to promote Honduran boutique coffee to the world, they divided its coffee producing areas into six regions: Copan, Opalaka, Montesilos, El Paleso, Agarta and Comayagua. According to IHCAFE, these are some common varieties of Honduran coffee:

Lempiral is a mixture of Caturra and Timor. It produces high yields of medium-sized beans and thrives in warm and acidic soil. It is small, has bronze leaves and needs a lot of nutrition. It is vulnerable to rust, a fungus characterized by small yellow leaf spots that cause fallen leaves and berries.

Bourbon is an important variety that produces beans at high altitudes and usually produces low yields when growing in shade. Although it has been replaced by other varieties (including Caturra, Catuai and Mundo Novo) in many parts of the world, it is still a boutique coffee worth investing in as long as it takes time and effort.

Catuai is a hybrid with high yield potential. Today, it accounts for nearly half of all Arabica coffee grown in Honduras. Because it is very small, it can produce more beans in less space. In appearance, it has green leaves and medium-sized beans, as well as red and yellow varieties. However, it is very vulnerable to coffee leaf rust.

Caturra, a natural variant of bourbon, was first discovered in Brazil more than a century ago. Like Catuai, it is a relatively small factory that can increase productivity. However, it is very sensitive to coffee leaf rust, which is why it is used to cultivate more resistant varieties. It is a compact plant with green leaves, medium-sized beans, good yield and good cup quality.

Pacas is another bourbon mutation found in El Salvador and is still produced in that country. It was first introduced to Honduras by IHCAFE in 1974. Pacas produces standard production of beans. It is a dwarf plant with green tip leaves. Although it is suitable for high altitude areas, it is also well adapted to low altitude areas. Its maturity and productivity are average, and it needs the right amount of nutrition. It is also vulnerable to coffee leaf rust.

Iron pickup is one of the oldest and most important C. arabica coffee in the world, its history can be traced back to 1700s. It produces a small amount of coffee beans and has good cup quality. It is a tall plant with bronze leaves that produce soybeans. However, it is susceptible to major diseases and requires standard maturation time and nutrients.

IHCAFE90 can produce precocious and high yield. However, it requires a lot of fertilizer. In terms of appearance, it is a small plant with dark bronze leaves and medium-sized beans. However, it can lead to poor quality of cups at high altitudes and are vulnerable to coffee leaf rust and Ojo de Gallo.

Villa sarchi is a natural mutant of Bourbon, but a single gene mutation means it is smaller. It originated in Costa Rica and was introduced to Honduras by IHCAFE in 1974. Villa Sarchi thrives at high altitudes and can tolerate strong winds. It has green leaves and below-average bean size. Like IHCAFE 90, it needs a lot of nutrition. However, it is vulnerable to coffee leaf rust and Ojo de Gallo.

Many varieties of coffee that are booming in Honduras are introduced by IHCAFE. As mentioned earlier, in the 1970s, they introduced three varieties from neighboring countries: Pacas from El Salvador, Villa Sarchi from Costa Rica and Catuai from Guatemala. In addition, they created two new varieties in the 1990s: IHCAFE 90 and Lempira. New varieties were born to balance disease resistance and coffee quality. Bourbon and Typica are well-known and relatively common varieties. Despite their good quality, their yields are very low and are vulnerable to coffee leaf rust and other plant diseases. Therefore, they need to be more careful in the production and processing process. However, producers can expect high prices for these varieties, provided they are carefully cultivated. Lempira and IHCAFE 90 may be more resistant than other varieties, but they also need more nutrition, which will be an expensive investment for producers. For this reason, their prices will also be relatively high-but buyers and consumers will get good quality coffee. Both Caturra and Catuai are highly susceptible to certain diseases, which means they need care and high prices to make producers viable. Pacas and Villa Sarchi are of high quality and high output, so buyers can expect a good cup shape. However, since producers have to make extra efforts to take care of the crop, prices must be relatively high.