Technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of El Salvador and the Salvadoran Coffee Council began the delivery of 12.5 million plants, with the aim of repopulating more than 35,000 hectares of the coffee park. The seedlings will be distributed in the six coffee mountain ranges of the country.

This action seeks to improve coffee agroecosystems and conserve natural resources. These strategic actions are part of the Plan for the Transformation and Sustainable Take-off of Coffee, contemplated in the three strategic axes of the Master Plan for Agricultural Rescue of El Salvador, which seeks to stimulate the country's production chain, through the injection of resources, technology and First level technical assistance to improve conditions in rural areas of the country.

The repopulation of the coffee park begins in 2021, with the renovation of 3,500 hectares with which 2,380 producers will benefit.

The distribution of coffee seedlings, which are free of fungi, pests and parasites, began in the municipalities of Candelaria de La Frontera and Santiago de La Frontera, in the department of Santa Ana, where 400,000 plants were supplied, benefiting 225 small and medium producers.

Other municipalities in the western area that were favored are Chalchuapa, El Povenir and San Sebastián Salitrillo, where more than a million plants were delivered to 177 coffee growers.

Coffee reforestation plan

The coffee park will be repopulated with varieties resistant to climate change, to help reduce the greenhouse effect, prevent soil erosion, maintain soil fertility and recharge the watersheds.

Producers will receive four varieties of coffee trees: Anacafé 14, Catisic, Marsellesa and Pacamara, a variant native to El Salvador and recognized worldwide for its exceptional quality and versatility for gourmet tastings.

This year the producers will be sure that their seedlings are healthy, thanks to the analyzes carried out in the laboratories of the General Directorate of Plant Health. Certification guarantees coffee growers that the plants are free from soil pests, foliage, and fungal diseases.

The delivery plan includes benefiting a total of 2,380 small, medium and large coffee producers, and is considered the first step to recover this sector that had been forgotten.