Café Flor de Mayo

History
Pedro Castro Canaruna has been producing coffee for more than ten years. He learned the management of this product in his cooperative, Unión ProAgro, and participated in the Cup of Excellence twice before. Last year, he won twentieth place. Through hard work, Pedro improved his handling of his coffee. “I was more careful with everything, harvesting at the right time, washing, drying in the platforms, storage, everything” he told us. His efforts have born fruit. Not even Pedro could believe that he had won second place. Pedro’s family was one of the first to migrate to the Alto Beni from the high plains (the altiplano), under the Government of Bolivia’s Colonization Plan. They established themselves in Colonia Barrio Nuevo, where he still produces coffee. Pedro worked various jobs for other producers until, at age 35, he had saved enough money to buy a lot in Chijchipani Alto in the Province of Caranavi. A decade of work has given him the experience he needed to achieve a Presidential Coffee. ”When I started, the quintal sold for 30 bolivianos. Some years it went up to 500 bolivianos. Now, it’s different. We earn enough to maintain our family, for everything. Thanks to coffee, my children are studying. The Cup of Excellence is good for producers. It’s better. When we improve our product, that’s also an economic benefit for us.” Pedro improved his house, invested in expanding and maintaining his coffee plantation and purchased equipment for the processing. This year he wants to do the same so that he wins first place in the 2009 competition.

Environmental Care
Organic compost from the discarded coffee pulp, the use of natural barriers, soil protection.

Other Statistics:
Soil Type: Silt Loam
Annual Precipitation: 1800 mm/year
Shade Type: Inga edulis sp.- Cedrella odorata
Weed Control: 2 times a year
Pruning: Growth - Renovation
Productive practices: Organic compost from the discarded coffee pulp, the use of natural barriers, soil protection