Introduction to varieties grown in the coffee producing area of Bolivia in South America

South America is a diversified continent, which is rich in natural resources, so it has many coffee producing countries, such as Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and so on.

Bolivia Bolivia

The Plurinational State of Bolivia (Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia) is a landlocked country located in central South America, surrounded by Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Paraguay, with a land area of 1.098 million square kilometers and rich in natural resources.

The Bolivian national flag is rectangular and consists of three parallel rectangles of red, yellow and green from top to bottom. In the past, red symbolized sacrifice for the country, yellow symbolized hope, and green symbolized the sacred land, but now it represents the animals, minerals and plants of Bolivia.

The Bolivian national flag used on formal occasions is painted with the national emblem in the center. The national emblem is oval in the middle, with the sun, mountain peaks, bread trees, camel sheep and grain patterns on the round surface. "Bolivia" is written in Spanish on the edge of the circle, and there are ten five-pointed stars in the lower half. represents the nine provinces that make up Bolivia and the coastal provinces that have been seized by Chile. There are three national flags on each side, with sticks and weapons crossed behind them, symbolizing authority. There are also vultures at the top, symbolizing strength and freedom, and bay twigs and olive branches on both sides, representing the people's pride in national freedom and the desire of many countries to live in harmony.

The east and northeast of Bolivia are mostly alluvial plains of the Amazon River, accounting for 60% of the country's area. the central part is a valley area, which belongs to the eastern foothills of the Andes, where agriculture is well developed, and many important cities are concentrated here. To the west is the Bolivian plateau, with an average elevation of more than 1000 meters.

Bolivia has a diverse climate, with three climatic zones, the tropical plain (average temperature 25 ℃), the valley bottom (average temperature 18 ℃) and the plateau (average temperature 10 ℃). These climates have made coffee one of the main cash crops in the country.

Coffee producing area

The producing area is mainly concentrated in the Yungas district of Yonggas, where 95% of the coffee is produced in Bolivia, where the infrastructure is relatively backward and lacks large washing plants. When the coffee is ripe, farmers have to pick the ripe fruit and immediately transport it to La Paz, which is higher than the area for processing. The road through La Paz in Yonggas is steep, through a total length of 90 kilometers, climbing from 1200 meters above sea level to 4650 meters above sea level. The mountain road, which is at least 3 hours' drive and has no protective measures, is known as the "death road".

Yonggas Yungas: located on the eastern side of the Andes, it is a rugged agricultural area. It is the oldest producing area in Bolivia. The capital La Paz is located just west of Yungas. Coffee is grown here between 800 and 2500 meters above sea level and is harvested from July to November every year. The coffee produced in this area usually has a deep and full sweetness, soft citrus acidity and black fruit and berry flavors.

Copacabana Copacabana: located in the western part of the country, near Lake Titicaca. The moist air in this producing area provides excellent conditions for the growth of coffee. Lake Titicaca is also one of the highest lakes in the world, with an average annual temperature of about 10-14 degrees Celsius. This means that coffee in this producing area has the advantage of altitude and temperature in the first place.

La Bascaravina La Paz Caranavi: located to the north of Yonggas, this producing area is also located in the hills of the Andes, but does not reach the same high altitude as Yonggas. Caravina's average altitude is 1500 meters above sea level, so the coffee produced here is a little less complex and has more chocolate flavor.

Coffee variety

Bolivia mainly grows iron pickup, Kaddura and a special coffee variety, Java.

Java: this variety was introduced to the Indonesian island of Java from Ethiopia in the early 19th century and was originally thought to be a Typica variety. Later, it was brought to Cameroon and was considered resistant to coffee berry disease before being introduced to Central and South American countries. Java has long fruits and seeds, brass buds, high plants but low yields. Because of its outstanding flavor, it has stronger resistance to leaf rust and coffee fruit disease, so it is very suitable for small farmers.