Guatemala

Coffee from the slopes of volcanoes

Elemento gráfico café de origen Guatemala

Information about the production of coffee in Guatemala

Main producing regions
Huehuetenango, Fraijanes, Antigua, and San Marcos
Most cultivated varieties
Bourbon, Catuai, Caturra, Pache, and Typica
Regions with Designation of Origin
Acatenango and Antigua
Traditional processing method
Washed
Harvest
October to March
Annual export -60kg bags-
3,19 million bags approx.
Beginning of coffee cultivation
18th century
Export
All year round
Altitude
600 - 2.000 m.a.s.l
Plantación de café en Guatemala

Origin of green coffee

Guatemala is located at the western end of Central America, bordered to the north by Mexico, to the west by Belize, to the east by Honduras and to the southwest by El Salvador, is the most populous country in Central America, It is home to 17.58 million inhabitants and covers an area of 108,889 km². 

Green coffee is one of Guatemala’s most exported products, despite the fact that during the 2001 crisis, many coffee growers opted to look for alternatives to diversify their crops. coffee has managed to remain among the country’s most exported products. Coffee cultivation in Guatemala is 90% of the arabica species and 10% of the robusta species, coffee generates some 500,000 jobs in the country and more than 300,000 hectares are used for its cultivation. 

The topography of Guatemala isaños, a chain of 34 volcanoes runs parallel to the Pacific Ocean, along this chain is the ‘Coffee Belt’, the location between two oceans and volcanic land forms the optimal environment for the growth of coffee plants

The mineral-rich soils of theañosthat crisscross the country contribute to the high quality of Guatemala’s coffee. In Guatemala the most adequate and beneficial temperature for coffee production is 16 to 32ºC, in lands located at an altitude of 500 to 700 meters above sea level, the young plants should be shaded. In areas above 1,500 meters, plantations should be protected from cold north winds.

Regions

Acatenango

Plantación de café en

The coffee region of Acatenango is located in the southwest of Guatemala, with an estimated population of 23,000 inhabitants and an area of 172 km². has 3 coffee-growing districts, These districts are home to more than 2,220 families that cultivate more than 4,443.32 hectares of Arabica coffee of the following varietals: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuaí, Pache and Typica.Acatenango is the 6th largest coffee growing region in the country.

Antigua

Plantación de café en la región de Antigua, Guatemala

The coffee-growing region of Antigua is located west of Guatemala City, Its estimated population is 134,172 inhabitants and its surface area is 180,019 km, this region has 11 coffee growing districts, these districts are home to more than 2,806 families that cultivate more than 5,615.18 hectares of coffee of the Arabica variety of the Bourbon, Caturra and Catuaí varietals, is the 3rd largest coffee growing region in the country.

Cobán

Plantación de café en  Cobán, Guatemala

The coffee-growing region of Cobán is located in the central region of Guatemala, with an estimated population of 310,100 inhabitants and a surface area of 2,132 km². has 9 coffee growing districts, among them San Pedro Carchá, San Juan Chamelco, San Cristóbal Verapaz, these districts are home to more than 2,400 families that cultivate more than 4,813.66 hectares of Arabica coffee of the Caturra, Catuaí, Obata, Anacafé 14, Catimores and Sarchimores varietals, Cobán is the 5th largest coffee growing region in the country.

Fraijanes

Plantación de café en Fraijanes, Guatemala

The Fraijanes coffee region has an estimated population of 207,244 inhabitants and an area of 91 km, this region has 9 coffee-growing districts, these districts are home to more than 6,408 families that cultivate more than 12,814.85 hectares of Arabica coffee of the Bourbon, Caturra, Catuaí and Pache varietals. is the second largest coffee-growing region in thecountry.

Huehuetenango

Plantación de café en

The coffee growing region of Huehuetenango has an estimated population of 89,516 inhabitants and an area of 345.997 km, this region has 16 coffee growing districts, these districts are home to more than 8,586 families that cultivate more than 17,127.97 hectares of Arabica coffee of the Bourbon, Caturra and Catuaí varietals. is the first coffee-growing region in the country.

Nuevo Oriente

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The Nuevo Oriente coffee-growing region has an estimated population of 22,863 inhabitants and an area of 313.89 km. has 8 coffee-growing districts, these districts are home to more than 1,539 families that cultivate more than 3,077.33 hectares of Arabica coffee of the Bourbon, Caturra, Catuaí and Pache varietals. is the 8th largest coffee growing region in the country.

Terras

SCA score
+80 points
Packaging format
60 kilos bag
Defects
Maximum 10 secondaries
Period
Continuity

Constellations

SCA score
+86 points
Packaging format
30 kilos bag
Defects
Maximum 5 secondaries
Period
Season