Guantanamo.- Recent rainfall in several parts of the province, combined with high temperatures, is expected to accelerate the ripening of coffee cherries during the newly launched 2026–2027 coffee harvest. Activities are already under way in all eight coffee-producing municipalities.
The anticipated increase in ripening must be closely monitored by everyone involved in the harvest to ensure that the coffee is collected on time and to prevent the cherries from falling and being lost.
As of Thursday, the province reported 25,535 cans of ripe coffee. Although this figure is not high, it should not lead to complacency—particularly in the leading coffee-producing municipalities, where a sudden surge in ripening can create urgent logistical challenges. Of the ripe coffee reported, 20,395 cans were in Maisí.
By the previous day, a total of 34,374 cans had been collected. Maisí also led in this area, with slightly more than 20,800 cans, followed by the municipalities of Yateras and El Salvador, each with more than 3,000.
Guantánamo faces the challenge of conducting an efficient harvest, as the previous season yielded very poor results. It was first affected by heavy rains and later by Hurricane Melissa, which caused a significant amount of coffee to fall and damaged plantations.
The province has set a collection target of 294,568 cans. Maisí, El Salvador and Yateras have assumed the largest commitments, in that order. Of the total collected, slightly more than 145,600 cans—52 percent—are expected to be proccessed.
