Venezuelan coffee industry bets on unique variety

SAN CRISTOBAL: A coffee variety genetically developed in Venezuela is brewing up a storm among connoisseurs for its taste and impressive crop sizes, making local growers hopeful of increased exports amid the country's long economic crisis.

Monte Claro, a variety of arabica coffee, was developed by Venezuela's National Institute for Agricultural Research (INIA) in Tachira state during 40 years of research, said Bilal El Ayoubi, an agronomist who worked at the INIA.

Venezuelan coffee production has plunged more than 60% over the last 20 years, according to the Fedeagro agricultural confederation, as the country's economy cratered.

Output was equivalent to just 383,000 60-kilogram sacks in 2022, a pittance compared with regional giants Brazil and Colombia, which produced 11.08 million and 37.43 million sacks of arabica, respectively.

During a July contest in capital Caracas, however, Monte Claro won first place out of 186 coffee samples from Venezuela and beyond, scoring 90.11 out of 100, meaning the cup is considered outstanding and eligible to be recognized as a specialty coffee.

The contest had 26 international tasters from countries including Colombia, Nicaragua, the U.S. and Peru, among others.

"Venezuela's coffee industry is going to reposition itself on the international market," El Ayoubi said.

De facto dollarization and a relaxation of price and distribution controls on coffee since 2019 have helped boost production and roasters and cafes have blossomed throughout the country, according to agricultural associations.

Now, growers are exporting.

Victor Montilla started growing Monte Claro on his farm in the mountainous Trujillo state four years ago, and in 2020, began exporting small amounts of five or six kilos to Colombia, Panama and Spain.

Monte Claro commands a much higher price for Montilla, who sold some 46 kilos of the coffee at the contest in Caracas for $600, compared with the average $180 for a regular variety.

The biggest international buyers of Venezuela's coffee are the U.S. and Turkey, according to the Venezuelan-American Chamber of Industry and Commerce and 2022 data from Import Genius, which records customs information.

"Right now there's more cultivation due to the new varieties," said Valerio Galeano, a small-scale farmer growing Monte Claro in Tachira with financial help from his son, who lives in Denver, Colorado.

"Still, it's nothing compared to the 1970s, when all these fields were coffee forests," Galeano said.