Peach & Brown SugarHarvest: February 2021 Country: HondurasProducer: Apolonio CanalesRegion: Pozo Negro, IntibucaProcess: WashedVariety: BourbonAltitude: 1600 - 2,000 masl Honduras is an exception when it comes to Central American coffee production, as they are the only country increasing its volume, and at a rapid rate! In 2018, it overtook Ethiopia as the third largest Arabica producer in the world. Yet, Honduras is not nearly as well known or established in the speciality market. Producers here have long suffered the repercussions of global market trends, left rust and the limitations being a small scale farmer places on their profitability. The coffee here is delicious but sadly the industry is incredibly vulnerable. It’s estimated that 86% of the country's production is produced by small to medium sized farmers, who in many cases are selling their coffee for less than it costs to produce.  The cost of production in Honduras is on the rise, and one of the main reasons for this is their constant struggle against leaf rust. Leaf rust is an airborne fungal disease that can devastate entire regions. When a plant is infected, it is unable to produce cherry and it spreads easily from tree to tree. To stop the disease from spreading, farmers must treat all trees with fungicides, which can severely affect their yield. When yield is down, the cost of production goes up, as fixed costs are spread over fewer cherries. Another challenge is the lack of service providers. Many farmers are unable to dry, sort, and grade their coffee for export, which means their coffee is blended with other cherry deliveries, and sold as a generic regional product. This however, is beginning to change as farmers recognise the economic benefit of producing a higher quality, fully traceable product. By forming groups and cooperatives, they can work together to share knowledge, increase quality and invest in infrastructure that will benefit the community.  Produced by Apolonio Canales, this is our first Honduran coffee of the season and possibly one of the sweetest coffees we’ve roasted this year! Apolonio is one of 60 producers that make up the Pozo Negro group in Intabuca and this coffee stood out for its incredible sweetness, balance and juicy apricot notes.