Coffee production in Puerto Rico

Coffee plantation in Puerto Rico

Coffee production in Puerto Rico has a checkered history between the 18th century and the present. Output peaked during the Spanish colonial rule but slumped when the island was annexed by the United States in 1898.^[1] In recent years, the gourmet coffee trade has seen an exponential growth with many of the traditional coffee haciendas of the Spanish colonial period being revived.^[2] Puerto Rican coffee is characterized as smooth and sweet.^[3]

History

Coffee was first introduced to Puerto Rico as a minor cash crop during Spanish colonial rule from nearby Martinique, and was mostly consumed locally. By the end of the 18th century, the island produced more than a million pounds of coffee a year. By the late 19th century, coffee production peaked, and the island was the world's seventh largest producer of coffee.^[1] Utuado was the most prominent site in coffee production before 1898.^[4] This rapid rise in the quantity and quality of coffee produced in the island is attributed to immigrants from Europe who brought their expertise to bear on its growth.^[1]

In 1898, the United States annexed the island from Spanish control, and it subsequently saw a decline in coffee production, as emphasis was more on growing sugar cane commercially.^[1] However, there is now a resurgence of coffee production, with the traditional hacienda estates reopening, and additional areas being brought under the crop. New coffee farms have been started in the Cordillera Central where the nutrient content in the volcanic soil is conducive to high value production of gourmet coffee.^[2]

Production

The island's coffee producing areas are spread throughout Puerto Rico, lying at an elevation range of 2,400–2,780 feet (730–850 m) in the western central mountainous terrain extending from Rincón to Orocovis. There is also potential for growing coffee in the higher elevations in places such as Ponce, with a peak of 4,390 feet (1,340 m) in elevation.^[3] The main areas which produce coffee are in the municipalities of San Sebastián, Lares and Las Marías in the northwestern central part of the country.^[5] In recent years, production has been affected by factors such as cloud cover, climate change, high cost of production, and the effects of political unrest. It is also reported that about half of the crop remains unpicked due to non-availability of pickers.^[3]

Coffea arabica is the main variety of coffee grown; popular brands are Bourbon, Typica, Pacas and Catimor. The local consumption accounts for one third of the produce. Coffee from Dominican Republic and Mexico is also imported for local consumption. The exported quantity is, however, very limited.^[3] Other local varieties of coffee are Yauco Selcto, Rioja, Yaucono, Café Rico, Crema, Adjuntas, Coqui, and Alto Grande Super Premium; the last variety is the island's most popular brand.^[1]

References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Barrier 2008, p. 249.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Van Atten 2013, p. 26.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Moldvaer 2014, p. 116.
4. ↑ Beisner & Hanson 2003, p. 519.
5. ↑ Perez 2004, p. 34.

Bibliography

• Van Atten, Suzanne (5 February 2013). Moon Puerto Rico. Avalon Travel Publishing. ISBN 978-1-61238-339-2.
• Barrier, Brooke (2008). Fodor's Puerto Rico. Fodor's Travel Publications. ISBN 978-1-4000-0731-8.
• Beisner, Robert L.; Hanson, Kurt W. (2003). American Foreign Relations Since 1600: A Guide to the Literature. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-57607-080-2.
• Moldvaer, Anette (1 July 2014). Coffee Obsession. DK Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4654-3476-0.
• Perez, Gina (4 September 2004). The Near Northwest Side Story: Migration, Displacement, and Puerto Rican Families. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-93641-6.