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Minas Gerais Leader Again at Illycaffe Coffee Quality Awards


Brazil - The Italian roaster, Illycaffe announced the winners of the 14th edition of the Illycaffe Espresso Coffee Quality Awards at a ceremony recently held in São Paulo, Brazil The yearly promotion of the Italian roaster began in 1991, as an instrument to insure supplies of the unique high quality Brazilian coffees required as the principal component of their espresso blends.

Previously, Brazil was considered a producer of large volumes of commodity coffees with little concern for quality but Illycaffe president, Ernesto Illy, recognized that Brazil had the potential to produce specialty and idealized the award program to give growers an incentive to improve quality and receive the benefits of higher priced coffees. Illycaffe was a pioneer in Brazil in coffee quality contests and the example has been followed in recent years by various competitions sponsored by State and Cooperative Insitutions.

This year 852 samples were submitted for the event in comparison with 263 participants for the first year of the awards. Samples were received from producers with farms in the prime growing areas of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Espirito Santo, Goias, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia. Only Arabica coffees are accepted for classification prepared by Natural, Washed or Peeled Cherry (Semi-Washed) methods, grading Type 3 or better with screen size minimum 16 or above.

After a series of tests and classifications by international standards by recognized trade experts, 50 lots were chosen for a final selection of the top 10 qualities. The winners, all 50, received a total of $101,000 distributed according to selection. The prize rules give Illycaffe the right to buy all of the final lots at an agreed premium above the current market prices.

The 1st prize winner was José Lázaro Pelloso, a farmer from Alfenas, Minas Gerais. Nine of the top ten winners were all producers from Minas with farms in the Sul de Minas, Cerrado and Zona da Mata regions of the State. The remaining winner was a farmer from the new growing region of the highlands of West Bahia.

- By Harry C. Jones

http://www.teaandcoffee.net/0605/world.htm