Vicentica Phocco —a Puno-based coffee producer— was recently awarded the Best Quality Coffee prize in the small producers category at the Specialty Coffee Expo 2018, held in the United States.
Partnered with Tupac Amaru Cooperative,
Phocco won said award thanks to her
high-quality coffee grains sold under the Quechua brand.
It must be noted the farmer is a beneficiary of the Coffee Production Chain Improvement Project, financed by State-run National Commission for Development and Life without Drugs (Devida).
These two institutions provided technical assistance during the cultivation process and helped with the equipping of post-harvest modules to enhance coffee quality in Sandia province's valleys.
This is the second prize Sandia Valley Cooperatives Central (Cecovasa) —to which the Quechua brand belongs— has won at this international fair.
Last year, the winner was
Raul Mamani, another Puno region-based coffee producer, who received a similar award for his coffee "Tunki."
(END) JCB/MAO/JAA/MVB