Investing in Sustainable Growth as Market Demand Grows and New Markets Open for Café Cibales

While coffee processing plants are closing all over the Island as a result of nearly a decade of economic woes, the Cooperativa Agrocomercial has seen its coffee production triple. “It is a reflection of the wide market acceptance of our product and the quality it consistently brings to homes across Puerto Rico”, explains María Velez, Service Center Supervisor in the coffee processing plant in Barrio Frontón, Ciales. To better meet market demands without sacrificing quaity, The Cooperativa Agrocomercial is getting underway to significantly improve its machinery.

“The Cooperative is now remodeling the wet and dry processing of the coffee beans as well as the and roasting facilities. The changes will be seen from the very moment our farmers bring their fruit for processing. New machinery is better able to sort the fruit, identifying with greater precision perfectly ripened fruit by qualities other than size” Vélez notes. New equipment will extend the quantity of beings processed and lengthen their drying period while still meeting market demands.

Arturo Rivera, Coffee Specialist at the Cooperative, adds “ with these changes Café Cibales will be able to enter the premium and specialty coffee markets at home and abroad. International technology and quality requirements have historically served as a barrier to entry for Puerto Rican coffee which enjoys a healthy stable market locally.

As part of the new changes the Cooperative will be able to process more commercial grade coffee at the same time it minimizes its fuel consumption. “New machines will allow us to collect the parchment released during the drying process so it can be recicled in the ovens reducing the need for propane.