Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) is a disease that affects coffee production worldwide and can lead to large portions of farms yields being wiped out. Luckily for coffee producers (and you, reader!), there are a myriad of factors that go into decreasing the likelihood of CLR throwing a wrench into production: varietal resistances and farmers selections based on region, shade cover, tree pruning, and fungicides. Currently, there are over 50 known races of coffee leaf rust, India is affected by the majority of these races (which is not the case for most producing countries).

In countries where their variety selections are incredibly limited due to rampant coffee diseases, things can seem bleak on the surface. However, there are companies and organizations that work to create new varietals, many with the goal of finding more resilient, higher yielding, and higher quality varieties. Once such company is Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) who is responsible for making a series of coffee varieties called ‘Selection’s that are incredibly common throughout India, for their incredibly high resistance to CLR. More specifically, Selection 9 is the prized jewel of Karnataka, with its resistances, excellent drought resistance and good cup quality; is the variety that we have purchased the most of from our relationships in India.

With all this information on India’s borderline necessity for specially created varieties to combat the environment of growing coffee in India, this lot disregards everything that was just shared. This is an anaerobic honey Catuaí, which is wildly susceptible to CLR, Coffee Berry Disease, and nematodes, which is a microscopic roundworm that can lead to plant death. So with all of this in mind, why would Ashok and Divya choose to grow such a risky varietal in India? This is a clear “flex” so to speak, and a clear example or their expertise in coffee cultivation, production and farm management.