Commercialization of Conilon coffee seedlings should start soon in Minas Gerais

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), there are 292 municipalities in Minas Gerais suitable for the production of Conilon coffee, especially in the low and hot regions in the east of the state. With the aim of promoting and expanding the cultivation of this variety in Minas Gerais lands, the Minas Gerais Agricultural Research Company (Epamig) is conducting research to test the adaptability of four Conilon cultivars to the state's conditions and multiply seedlings that should begin to be sold from November this year.

The project “Expansion of Café Conilon in the Eastern Region of the state of Minas Gerais”, financed by Mapa, provided for the installation of two clonal gardens in the Company's Experimental Fields in Leopoldina (MG) and Oratório (MG). After establishing a partnership with the Capixaba Institute of Research, Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (Incaper), Epamig acquired genetic material from the cultivars Centenária ES8132, Diamante ES8112, Jequitibá ES8122 and Marilândia ES8143, to carry out experiments, in order to verify their performance in the growing conditions of Minas Gerais.

“Despite the potential of Minas Gerais, there is still no material officially registered on the Map with recommendations for the state. This makes it very difficult for producers who want to start growing Conilon, as they need to bring seedlings from other states, such as Espírito Santo. Therefore, the project also included the installation of nurseries, where we are multiplying the seedlings of these cultivars, to sell them to producers”, explains Epamig researcher and project coordinator, Fábio Tancredi.

According to him, the Company's goal is to produce around 200.000 seedlings in the nurseries set up in Leopoldina and Oratório and that the team is training the workforce to continue with the cultivation and meet demand. “Last year, we carried out a pilot project and have since produced around 10.000 seedlings of the Marilândia ES8143 and Diamante ES8112 cultivars, which will begin to be sold between November and December 2023. In fact, demand from producers has already begun and Epamig has already received several demands”, adds Fábio.

The researcher also recalls that Epamig is also involved in a genetic improvement program for Conilon coffee, with the aim of, in the future, registering genetic material specifically adapted to the conditions of Minas Gerais with Mapa. “We are advancing in this research and are approaching the next stage of improvement, which is the phase of identifying the genetic compatibility of each clone that we have tested”, reports Fábio Tancredi.

Alternative income and retention of young people in rural areas

Maurício Milton is a producer of Conilon coffee in Macuco, district of Muriaé (MG). His father started cultivation in 1998, with seedlings brought from Espírito Santo, and he explains that the family chose Conilon because of the local climate conditions. “Arabica suffers a lot from the heat here, even with more powerful fertilization, which is why we decided to cultivate Conilon”, says Maurício, who continues: “Nowadays, when I want to buy seedlings, I have to look very far away, sometimes in other countries. States. So, having material being produced nearby will encourage people in the region to produce. I myself am interested in taking some seedlings and planting another 500 trees.”

The agronomist and extensionist at the Muriaé local office of the state's Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company (Emater-MG), Robério Torres, produces Conilon in the district of Bom Jesus da Cachoeira. He believes that the cultivation of the variety will be a good option for the region, which is currently focused on dairy cattle. “In livestock farming, today, we have a big problem which is succession, as a large part of young people are moving to cities. But we have observed that this does not happen in coffee farming, as there is greater retention. So, Conilon will be able to, at the same time, improve the income of producers and help young people stay in the region”, highlights Robério, who also highlights the security of the crop. “Conilon, unlike Arabica, produces practically the same volume every year, which makes it a continuous and guaranteed source of income. This would be an additional increase for local family farming”, he concludes.

Those interested in reserving Conilon seedlings should contact Epamig using the following numbers: (32) 9 9922-3289 / (31) 9 9532-5684 / (31) 3881-4601.