Emater-MG and city halls encourage the cultivation of conilon coffee in the Suaçuí Valley

The cultivation of conilon coffee has received further encouragement in the Minas Gerais municipalities of Vale do Suaçuí, in the East of Minas Gerais. The initiative involves Emater-MG, which works to promote technical events and assist coffee growers and city halls, which have carried out actions such as distributing seedlings.

One of the main objectives is to bring more knowledge to coffee growers in the Suaçuí Valley, which covers the municipalities of Água Boa, José Raydan, São Pedro do Suaçuí, Santa Maria do Suaçuí and São José do Jacuri.

This is the case of the 1st Technical Circuit of Café Conilon in Vale do Suaçuí, scheduled to take place now in the second half of 2023. “The format of the event will be a field day, with technical lectures and exchange of information between extensionists and conilon producers in the Vale do Suaçuí region”, says Emater-MG technician, Bryan Carvalho.

The technician from José Raydan's office also highlights the creation of a technical cooperation group, focused on the cultivation of conilon coffee and the exchange of information on incentive actions and technical assistance for coffee growers.

Bryan also reveals that the possibility of holding a quality competition focused on conilon coffee is being analyzed. “The actions adopted will contribute to the development of culture in the region, expansion of the cultivated area, increased productivity, added value to the final product, generation of jobs in the production chain and economic growth in the Suaçuí Valley”, he states.

Distribution of seedlings

The distribution of seedlings has also been a way of encouraging the cultivation of the variety in the region. In 2022, José Raydan city hall donated around 70 thousand clonal seedlings to local producers. And new donations are planned. Furthermore, the 20 benefiting coffee farmers are counting on technical assistance from the local Emater-MG office, from planting the crops to processing the grains.

Most of the conilon coffee producers in the Suaçuí Valley are concentrated in the municipality of José Raydan. There are 100 coffee farmers in total. The variety is grown on about 100 hectares. Irrigated coffee plantations occupy 40% of this area.

Mateus Venturini de Oliveira is one of the producers who grow conilon coffee. He moved from the state of Espírito Santo to the municipality of José Raydan in 2015. The coffee plantation he owns has 20 hectares in production. The entire area is irrigated. For the 2022/2023 harvest, he expects to harvest almost 2 60-kilo bags. “With irrigation, crop productivity is better and so is the financial return”, says the coffee grower.

Traditionally cultivated in the state of Espírito Santo, conilon has adapted well to the Suaçuí Valley. According to Emater-MG extensionist Bryan Carvalho, it is estimated that the first seedlings arrived in the region 15 years ago, with farmers who went to work on crops in Espírito Santo. “In the last 5 years, culture has undergone a great expansion in the region.”

The expectation is that, in the 2022/2023 harvest, total production of conilon coffee in the Suaçuí Valley will reach around 35 thousand bags. According to Bryan Carvalho, the region has a new area in formation with 150 hectares and is practically 100% irrigated. “In the coming years, coffees from Vale do Suaçuí will generate even more income for family farmers and the region will be recognized as ideal for productive crops and the production of excellent quality coffees”, he predicts.