The Dominican Coffee Council (Codocafe) has announced that the European Union recently recognized Dominican coffee by granting protected designation of origin (PDO) for Valdesia coffee from Peravia (Bani) province. On the occasion of the National Coffee Day celebrations yesterday, Monday 11 April 2016, Jose Fermin Nunez of Codocafe said that the distinction makes the DR the only country with a denomination of protected area issued by the European Union.
The distinction means that Dominican coffee is now part of the special coffees category of the European Union. The “Denominacion de Origen Protegida Cafe Valdesia” includes organized producers in the southwestern provinces of San Cristobal, Peravia and San Jose de Ocoa. The Dominican producers were first notified in March 2016. Work towards achieving the denomination began in 2013. The denomination is expected to bring increased revenue for the crop. To be marketed as Cafe Valdesia, production and processing must take place at the protected locality. The coffee is known for its large beans, low acidity, a sweet, fruity taste and balanced nature.
The announcement comes at a time when Dominican coffee in general is recovering from almost total destruction due to the coffee rust disease. Codocafe estimates that 160,000 tareas (1 tarea = 629 square meters) have been renovated. An estimated 1,618,000 tareas of coffee are planted nationwide, of which an estimated 500,000 tareas have been lost to the coffee rust. The new varieties are more resistant to the disease.
http://valdesia.com/en/
http://www.diariolibre.com/economia/cafe-dominicano-recibe-distincion-EC3307475
http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2016/04/12/cafe-entrara-circulo-los-mas-cotizados-del-mundo
