Region and Country
Rancho Grande, Matagalpa, Nicaragua
Story
Cooperativa Ríos de Agua Viva was established in 2006 by 27 cacao producing communities of Rancho Grande. The cooperative represents about 500 cacao farmers, some of whom also produce coffee and honey.
Ríos de Agua Viva harvests 250 metric tonnes of annually from 1,200 hectares of productive land. All production activities adhere strictly to certification processes: Organic, Fair Trade International, or Rainforest Alliance. Most of the production is exported to European chocolate makers.
Of the total land, 400 hectares are dedicated to coffee cultivation. This coffee is mainly sold in the domestic market as roasted and ground coffee under their own brand.
Since 2016, the cooperative has been involved in the production of honey and honey products. To date, it manages 140 beehives with an average production of 12 barrels of honey per year.
The cooperative owns two collection centers for wet cocoa. At its headquarters, Cooprav also has an an area for certification, honey packaging, and roasted and ground coffee packaging.
Harvest
March - May (main harvest) - February (mid-crop)
Genetics
Mainly Trinitario varieties
Post Harvesting Process
Cocoa is collected fresh from the farmers and brought to one of their two centralized post harvesting centers. The wet cocoa is fermented in wooden crates for 5 days and turned every 24 hours. Fermentation levels are observed through cutting tests, and if needed the process is extended up to one day, depending on the variety and regional climatic conditions. The drying process takes about 4-6 days. In case of rain, the beans are dried under a solar canopy.
Flavour
Medium chocolate base with notes of brown fruit, cream and slight spice.
