The municipality of Juruaia, in southwestern Minas Gerais, 413 kilometers from Belo Horizonte, is known across Brazil as the country’s capital.
Before the pandemic, the city had about 10,000 inhabitants and over 300 small lingerie factories that, together, sold two million units a month.
The city, however, hides another treasure: its specialty coffees. Coffee is the most important agricultural product in the region, which is mountainous, which makes the mechanization process of farming more difficult. Thus, its greatest strength lies with small family farmers.
Juruaia has over 850 family farmers who grow quality coffees, including micro (80 to 150 bags), small (150 to 400 bags) and medium-sized producers (400 to 800 bags). Last year, despite the coronavirus, they managed to maintain the annual production average.
In 2020, family farming in Juruaia was responsible for producing 160,000 bags and an invoicing of R$80 million. The most relevant aspect is that these small producers were responsible for producing 65% of all coffee, which, for the most part, is destined for export.
“Family farmers have identified niche markets, such as specialty coffees, which require greater investment in the qualification of production, management and marketing processes. EMATER works alongside the farmers to improve coffee quality, reduce production costs, increase income, maintain and create jobs, and improve management and marketing. That is, it aims to consolidate a competitive family-farmed coffee from Minas Gerais,” commented Cléverson Menegucci, Agricultural Extensionist at EMATER-MG.
The relevance of coffee farming is not only economic. The activity also plays a key social role. It is a source of employment and income for thousands of family farmers and rural workers. According to the Empresa de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural (EMATER), the coffee production chain is estimated to generate three million direct and indirect jobs in Minas Gerais.
Currently, producers are working to obtain the designation of origin certificate.
