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| Suiguem: high quality coffees combined with environmental preservation, and respect and concern for the health of its consumers | ||||||
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| Suiguem Agropecuária Ltda. began its activities in 1986, producing high quality coffees for the international market. Suiguem has three farms located in the Cerrado Mineiro region, with a total area of 10,000 acres (4,000 ha). Currently, 2,500,000 coffee trees are already planted. Suiguem plans to have 5,000,000 coffee trees by 2005. |  |
| Suiguem guarantees the quality of its coffees, because it is responsible for all phases, from seedling cultivation to processing, storage and roasting (the latter for the Japanese market). |
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Strict control of these processes result in Suiguem's products superior quality, such as the "CAFÉ TURMALIN" (Turmalin coffee), a fine coffee with sweet-soft taste, and little acidity, which has been obtaining the best evaluations from domestic and international buyers. |
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Under favorable climatic conditions, coffee grows with an excellent aroma and coffee cups have a good body. The large difference between day and night temperatures, the relative humidity of the air about 70%, and the altitude of 1,000m from sea level, are excellent conditions for coffee plantations.
In addition, the rainy season (October to March) and the dry season (April to September) are well defined, providing good irrigation conditions. |
| When the harvest takes place (June and August) there is no precipitation, and the drying process occurs under ideal conditions. Average annual rainfall reaches 1,200mm, the temperature varies from 12°C (53°F) low to 32°C (89°F) high. |
| To obtain the best results from the coffee trees, the soil is richly fertilized with organic matter such as fowl manure, green soy manure and castor oil residue. Annually, Suiguem applies 50 ton/ha of these organic matter.
This very fertile soil provides more vitality to the nursery trees, and contributes to the formation of a superior quality coffee plantation, with uniform trees, more resistant to dry weather and diseases. |
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| Suiguem is one of the pioneers in the production of semi-washed coffees. After being hulled, the coffee is naturally dried in a 25,000m2 terrace during 3 or 4 days.
The drying process final phase is performed in drum driers at a temperature below 45°C (113°F), during 35 hours. Grain humidity is maintained between 10.5% and 11.0%. |
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| Subsequently, the coffee is stored in wooden silos to maturate for at least 45 days. The last processing stages are performed at the time the coffee is sold in the domestic market or exported. |
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| Suiguem practices ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURE, and proves that it is possible to ally leading edge technology in agriculture to ecological conscience. |
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In its farms Suiguem adopts measures such as the use of organic fertilizers; research and practice of alternative methods to face plagues and diseases -- which greatly reduce the use of pesticides; the rational and careful use of natural resources, with minimum losses; and making its workers aware of the importance of environment preservation. |
| Suiguem's constant concern with environmental preservation and with consumers' health is proven by the residual and toxin pesticide analysis of its coffees.
Just one type of insecticide is used in the beginning of the rainy season (December), if needed, so that at the time of the harvest (June) the coffee beans are totally safe, with no residual traces of pesticides. |
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| From time to time, chemical analyses are performed by the official Japanese agency certifying that Suiguem coffees are exempt from any residual pesticides or toxins such as ochratoxin and aflatoxin. Since 1992, year in which these analyses were introduced, they have been performed every year. Furthermore, Suiguem performs these same analyses in its own laboratory. |
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SUIGUEM AGROPECUÁRIA LTDA Praça da Liberdade, 130 - 10o andar - cj. 1005 São Paulo/SP - CEP:01503-010 - Brazil Phone: (55-11) 3104-7136 Fax: (55-11) 3106-2860 e-mail: cafe@turmalin.com.br |
