From May 15 to August 15, the call is open for receiving coffee lots for the 3rd National Coffee Quality Competition “Colombia, Land of Diversity,” which recognizes excellence, quality and diversity of the country’s coffee. All producers, with first-semester harvest, interested in participating are invited to submit their lots to the cooperatives’ points of purchase that are closest to their farms. The competition aims to continue positioning Colombia’s specialty coffee in differentiated high-value market niches, honoring the dedication and perseverance of coffee growers that produce coffee of the highest quality The competition gathers strength, not only because of the response of producers themselves, who seek to see their effort and commitment to quality rewarded, but because of the growing number of buyers for whom the competition has become a new benchmark in the global specialty coffee industry. As part of its mission to work for well-being of Colombian coffee growers and its strategy to improve their profitability, with the competition the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) seeks to encourage production of specialty coffee and project it nationally and internationally. The coffee lots will be assessed (in an early stage by national cup tasters and in the final phase, by international cup tasters) according to a protocol developed by Almacafé’s Coffee Quality Office to recognize the unique attributes of Colombian coffee. Who can participate? As it is tradition, the call for participation is open to Colombian coffee growers or natural or legal persons, including foreigners, with coffee farms in Colombia in two categories: Small and Large Lots. In the Small Lots category (between 500 kg and 2,000 kg), one coffee lot per farm or producer may participate. The best coffee lots, according to five attributes to be assessed, will be recognized with 25 million pesos for each winner: • Acidity • Body • Mildness • Balance • Exoticness The minimum quality requirements in this category are max 1% of defects from the first group, 1% of CBB, maximum yield factor of 90, and max 11.5% of moisture. In the Large Lots category (between 25,000 and 27,500 kg), one coffee lot per producer or producer association may take part. There will be a single economic recognition (also of 25 million pesos) for the best estate coffee. The basic quality requirements in this category are max 1.5% of defects from the first group, 2% of CBB, max yield factor of 93.33, and up to 11.5% of moisture. Best coffees will participate in international auctionф In addition to the recognition in cash for each winner, the best coffee lots in each category will participate in an exciting live auction before national and international bidders, which will take place in Bogotá on October 5 as part of “Cafés de Colombia Expo 2018.” Source: comunicaffe.com/call-for-3rd-national-coffee-quality-competition-is-open-in-colombia/