This Tuesday a group of six German investors visited the main farms in Chiriquí that specialize in growing specialty coffee, which included Lérida, La Esmeralda, Kotowa, Café Ruíz and Serracín. They also went to the Hartman, Yanguez, Café Durán and APRE (Renacimiento Coffee Growers Association) farms in Boquete. Heiko Rehorik, secretary general of the German Association of Coffee Roasters, said that, “the visit to Panama is aimed towards investing in purchasing specialty coffee and cocoa.”

These German entrepreneurs are members of the German Association of Coffee Roasters, a group comprised of more than 100 companies. The investors are interested in making the investment to buy specialty coffee grown in the Chiriquí highlands. The entrepreneurs are interested in marketing the Caturra, Catuay and Geisha coffee varieties in their boutique businesses, along with cocoa.

Rachel Paterson, responsible for marketing at La Esmeralda Farm, indicated that this is a wonderful opportunity for coffee farmers to be able to sell their product to the German market.

“The investors came to visit as the result of Panama's participation in the most recent COTECA (coffee, tea, cocoa) Fair held in Hamburg, Germany this September,” said Ben Cardoze, promoter of Investment and Exports for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MICI).

He added that the visit by the German investors was upon the invitation of MICI, in the interest of giving Panamanian farmers the opportunity to sell their product, and that these entrepreneurs are potential clients.