Café Huancayño

History
Luciano and Damián Huanca were adolescents the first time they arrived in the Yungas. Their uncle offered them work in the coffee harvest. He paid them one boliviano per tin. They worked three months and then returned to their home in the altiplano (the high Andean plains). The brothers continued this kind of work for a decade. From this experience, they saw that coffee was profitable and decided to buy a lot for each of them. Damián had some money saved, but Luciano did not have the 1,800 bolivianos he needed to buy his lot. He decided to sell his cow and borrow money from his family. That’s how they came to Colonia Chojñapampa.

It was a challenge to adjust to the climate, the heat, the food. Everything was different. Luciano commented, “It took me three years to get used to it. I’ve suffered. Living in the jungle is hard. Working with my brother motivated me. Now I’m happy with a little bit of coffee, I’ve got steady money. I live better than I did in the altiplano. You suffer more there.”

Luciona is very proud of his coffee and wants to let buyers know why they should buy it. “In my colony, we only produce coffee. It’s good. You have to take good care of it. Our product is healthy. It’s natural. We don’t use chemicals. That’s why it tastes good. That’s why it’s good for you to drink coffee.”

Next year he wants to participate again in the Cup of Excellence and to add a half hectare of coffee to his plantation. He also wants to buy a refrigerator for his wife, who always complains because her food goes bad so quickly.

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

Other Statistics:
Soil Type: Clay Loam
Annual Precipitation: 1600 mm/year
Shade Type: Inga edulis sp.
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.