POST-HARVEST PRACTICES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SPECIALTY COFFEES IN CHIAPAS, MEXICO

When it comes to specialty or high-quality coffees, sensory qualities are crucial because coffee marketers use samples to assess bean and cup quality, which is then used to create a score based on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) protocol. This score is then used to determine the purchase and price. This study provides a descriptive analysis of the processes developed during training for high-quality coffee production with three shade-grown organic coffee-producing organizations in the state of Chiapas. The goal was to improve harvest and post-harvest practices in order to increase the sensory quality of the coffee. Each training session used the washed, natural, and honey methods to process the coffee. Statistically significant differences were found in the different types of post-harvest processing for each organization. In the sensory analyses, washed coffees were classified as excellent (between 85 and 86 points). In general, the coffees obtained scored between 80 and 86 points, which, according to the SCA protocol, are classified as very good to excellent. The washed processes obtained the highest score; however, the natural and honey processes are a good alternative for producers who lack water during harvesting. Selective harvesting and monitoring of the fermentation processes help to increase the sensory quality of the coffee, improving its opportunity to access specialty markets in order to obtain better prices and greater stability in the medium term.