Brazil Specialty Coffee Association

Winning farm of the Brazil Cup of Excellence Competition and Auction - 2001 edition

Tacio Medrado Mattos Fazenda Horacinópolis

Characteristics of the coffee lot:

Processing System: Pulped Natural The winning lot was harvested in an área of 50 hectares of the Red Catuai variety. Variety: Red Catuai Lot size: 18 bags Average score: 81.56

Characteristics of the farm:

Property: Fazenda Horacinópolis E-mail: horacinopolis@uol.com.br Location: The property is located in the region of the Chapada Diamantina, in the municipality of Mucugê, 450km from Salvador, the capital city of the State of Bahia. Total area: 4,419 hectares Coffee growing area: 72 hectares of the Red Catuai variety.

View of the farm

Fazenda Horacinópolis is located in the famous Chapada Diamantina, a mountain range área, of diversified topography, where 90% of the rivers of Bahia begin, including the three largest ones. The region has an exuberant and unique vegetation, mixing species from the caatinga with those of the mountain range. The property is at a height of 1,150 meters above sea level with average temperatures between 15oC and 25oC and well defined seasons - one rainy season and one dry season. In the region there is the Apertado Dam, with 108 million cubic meter capacity, which guarantees agricultural irrigation.

Apertado Dam

Irrigation of a coffee plantation

Coffee tree

The property belongs to Tácio Medrado Mattos's family since 1892 and the producer has over 50 years experience in coffee production, in addition to producing irrigated coffee for a long time.

Tácio Medrado Mattos's family

With a total área of 4,419 hectares, the farm has 72 hectares of coffee plantations; 500 hectares for fruit and vegetables for the domestic market; and 60 hectares occupied with service and processing centers. Concerned with the preservation of plants and wildlife in the Chapada Diamantina, Tácio Medrado Mattos maintained the remaining 3,787 hectares untouched, which corresponds to 75% of the total área, with woods, brushwoods and native fields. In this preservation área, there are many typical plants and wild animals.

Coffee plantation

Irrigation of a coffee plantation

Irrigation of a coffee plantation

Fruit plantation

Vegetable plantation

Preservation of wildlife

To provide the best quality of life to the employees of the farm and their families, the property is structured as a small town, with free or low cost housing for 60 workers' families, in addition to a health center and school built with the property's own resources. Currently, the school is part of the state public system.

Coffee processing system: At Fazenda Horacinópolis, the crop is harvested manually, with maximum maturation uniformity. After harvesting, the coffee goes through the washer and pulper, where the green and cherry beans are separated. The drying process is made in a suspended terrace and by using dryers, with the coffee arriving at the right humidity to be forwarded to special warehouses, where the coffee is placed in wooden bins to rest and to be made uniform.

Quality concerns: To produce high quality coffees, Tácio Medrado Mattos receive advice and guidelines from the Agronomist Claudionor Dultra. "He is a very competent professional with large experience in the coffee industry, and he has been providing consulting services to the region for some years", stated Mattos.

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