Efrain Carhuallocllo, Peru | Washed

Efrain Carhuallocllo Salvador owns 4 hectares of land in the El Corazon village in Chirinos district. Efrain is one of the most innovative producers in all of Peru, and his farm and wet mill are run with extreme care and precision. Efrain competed in the very first Cup of Excellence competition in Peru and placed 2nd. Many consider his coffee to be the best of that competition, even though it didn’t win. Prior to and since competing in the CoE, Efrain has won several local and national competitions and is likely the most decorated producer in Peru. Efrain grows Caturra (yellow and red) and Geisha varieties. While he does not apply herbicides or pesticides, he does use chemical fertilizers to improve his productivity. Once picked, Efrain's coffee is fermented for 24 hours before being washed and dried. Great care is taken during the drying process, ensuring that the coffee is dried slowly and evenly for better longevity. In Efrain's drying area, it usually takes around 25 days to dry. Chirinos Chirinos is a district in the province of San Ignacio and is one of the most well-known areas for quality coffee in Peru. Chirinos is well connected to nearby cities, with new roads and a thriving town that serves as a hub for coffee buying and trade. While the coffee landscape in Chirinos is still dominated by middlemen and FTO certifications, there is growing interest in specialty coffee, and some of the largest cooperatives in the area have been promoting quality for several years. However, for producers who are not members of coops, of which there are many, access to markets and support to invest in their farms and improve quality remains limited. Several villages across Chirinos have ideal growing conditions for coffee, with altitudes above 1,700 masl, and many producers still grow old pure Arabica varieties. We see huge potential for quality improvement in Chirinos. With small changes and investments, producers can escape low market prices, which rarely cover the cost of production, and find a market for their coffee that pays well above the standard rate with quality incentives.