PHOENIX, U.S. – BioNovelus, Inc. is proud to announce that its biodegradable fungicide, CR-10, will be tested by major coffee growers in Guatemala, starting this week. Fedecocagua, one of the largest cooperative of Guatemala with 20,000 coffee growers has agreed to test CR-10 at several of its plantations.
Additionally, tests will be launched with Finca Medina, in Antigua, a renowned region for specialty Arabica coffee.
“The coffee rust fungus (or “roya” in Spanish) is estimated to have caused over $1 billion in damages in Guatemala alone, since 2012.
It is now estimated that 70-80% of its coffee crops are affected by the disease.
This is among the highest rates throughout Central America. The government of Guatemala declared a state of emergency in 2013.
“Roya” is affecting everyone involved in the coffee distribution chain — from the farmers working in the fields, to the rich coffee finca owners.
Even Starbucks is not immune from this growing menace. Coffee harvests of Guatemalan plantations have dropped to 1/20th of what they used to be in recent years.
The Guatemalan coffee industry ranks #10 in the world producing 3,400,000 – 60 kilos bags from 276,500 hectares of valuable and irreplaceable farmland.
Mr. Jean Ekobo, President/CEO of BioNovelus, Inc. is traveling to Guatemala to personally oversee the launch of several CR-10 tests.
While there, he will also meet with executives of the World Coffee Research Institute in Guatemala City, and with the owner of Soluagro, a Central America leader in the coffee and food packaging.
