Agriculture Dept., private sector plant some 4,500 coffee trees
The Agriculture Department, together with Starbucks and the Fonalledas Foundation planted some 4,500 coffee trees, of the Marseillaise seed, Agriculture Secretary Carlos Flores said.
Nearly 100 volunteers, including veterans of The Mission Continues organization, and employees of the University of Puerto Rico’s Agricultural Station, worked the lands of the Torres Berdiel, Hernán Núñez and Gamalier Ramos haciendas.
“There are three local farms belonging to Puerto Rican farmers who received help from strangers but with a desire to contribute to the revival of Puerto Rico’s coffee industry, which was badly hit by Hurricane María,” said Flores.
Starbucks donated 2 million seeds to this initiative, while the Agriculture Department collaborated with strategic planning. The owners of the farms participate in the incentives offered by the agency through the for Agricultural Business Administration Development program.
Agriculture has strengthened its initiatives in benefit of the coffee sector. One the most recent ones is an effort to retake local coffee production in Puerto Rico’s eastern zone.
