Santiago de Cuba, Jan 17 (AIN) Cuba has exported 624 tons of certified organic coffee in the last 4 years, confirming its strategy to diversify and broaden markets with high quality products.

With the trend in the world being to consume more food products produced without chemical inputs, Cuba increased its efforts in the field. In 2005, the island produced and marketed 162 tons of organic coffee.

The majority of the product went to Japan, although there are other markets in Asia and Europe.

The project is managed by the Central Station of Coffee and Cocoa Research based in the Tercer Frente municipality in eastern Santiago de Cuba province. The actual growing is carried out on farms in the neighboring province of Guantanamo.

Dr. Pascual Caro, head of the national project said that some 4,500 hectares are dedicated to organic coffee, representing 5.5 percent of the total surface area of coffee plants in the country.

Some 2,000 cooperative firms and individual producers in Guantanamo cultivate organic coffee, a labor intensive crop that uses natural methods for fertilization and to combat plant diseases and plagues.

Foreign experts have validated the effectiveness of the project on the island for its strict compliance to the established norms, like the absence of toxins, plus the soil and water conservation techniques applied by the local farmers.

One percent of the world´s coffee production is organic and Cuba hopes to continue increasing its market share.

Other ecological products produced on the island include honey, citrus fruits, sugar and cocoa.

Coffee growing in Cuba dates back to 1748 when the Arabic variety was introduced to the island. In one year, 1833, Cuba was the world´s leadingcoffee exporter.

(AIN) January 18, 2004