Guatemala coffee beans how to practice Guatemala coffee beans characteristics

Coffee production in Guatemala has declined relatively to 700 kg/ha, compared with 900 kg/ha in El Salvador and an astonishing 1700 kg/ha in Costa Rica. Guatemala's coffee export trade is controlled by private companies, but the National Coffee Council (Asociación Nacional de Cafe) controls the rest of the coffee industry. Some of Guatemala's finest coffee is exported to Japan, where it sells for $3 to $4 a cup. Most of the small-scale producers are descendants of Mayans, who like to be called natives.

They are also currently benefiting from a US-funded program known locally as "The Project," which plans to invest $2.5 million to encourage small, high-quality coffee plantations. The main regions of Guatemala that produce high-quality coffee are Lake Atitlan and Huehuentenango. The aim of the project is to help break the vicious cycle of high production and low quality that has plagued the world coffee industry. Bourbon trees, for example, grow taller and produce fewer beans than the new dwarf trees, and although they are both Arabica varieties, Bourbon trees produce better beans and are more popular with foodies. The project also hopes to encourage local producers to process coffee beans themselves, since most coffee cherries are now sold to middlemen, and the value and even quality of coffee could be improved if it could be processed in local factories.

Antigua is also a famous coffee producer. Antigua coffee is produced at Hacienda Carmona, where the best quality coffee is EL Pulcal, which is not only of good quality, but also richer in flavor, taste and tobacco flavor than other coffees in Guatemala. Every 30 years or so, the area around Antigua is hit by a volcanic eruption, which provides more nitrogen to the already fertile land, and sufficient rainfall and sunshine make the area more suitable for growing coffee. Other coffee producing areas include San Marco, Oriente & Coban, Palcya, Mataquescuintia and La Uman in Zacapa. The establishment of the Specialty Coffee Association means that the Guatemala government is beginning to pay attention to high-quality coffee, and the efforts made for it will soon bear fruit