JURY SCORE
Authentication of Coffeea Arabica genetics using DNA fingerprinting technology.
“A way of carrying on the family legacy”.
Cup profile:
Yahya Allahaba started growing coffee at a young age, after his father passed away. His mother supported him with the handling of the finances and the land until he was able to manage the farm by himself. She taught Yahya everything he knows, from cultivating to pruning and picking. She also stood by his side until he was old enough to get married and start my own family.
Yahya’s mother continued to work beside him until she passed away, and Yahya takes great pride in saying that his mum was the strongest person he ever knew.
It was Yahya’s great grandfather who planted the trees he uses today. Some of the trees are over 250 years old! His siblings work in the city, but Yahya wants to pass on his coffee expertise and assets to his children in the hope that they will carry on the family legacy.
Yahya’s coffee won the Qima Coffee 2020 auction with a score of 90.93. With his winnings, he invested back into his farm: planting more seedlings, expanding his farm and developing his farming techniques.
Bait Alal is a village in the region of Hayma Kharijiya, on the west side of Sana’a City. Perched on a mountain top, it has an altitude of 2300 metres and is home to some 300 farming families. The farmers in Bait Alal see the coffee tree as a symbol of pride and they believe that coffee originated from this area. The land has been passed down through the generations, with some of the coffee trees dating back over three hundred years. Due to a harsh climate, the farmers face many growing difficulties, which is one of the reasons for low yields being produced. However, no matter how small the harvest is or how harsh the conditions, the farmers never abandon their coffee trees. Bait Alal is also home to Al Ruwad, Yemen’s largest and most established specialty coffee cooperative, serving 285 families – the equivalent of around 2000 people.
AUGUST 18th
2:00pm BST - London, United Kingdom
6:00am PDT - LA, USA
9:00am EDT - NY, USA
3:00pm CEST - Amsterdam, Netherlands
4:00pm AST - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
5:00pm GST - Dubai, UAE
9:00pm HKT - Hong Kong, Hong Kong
10:00pm JST - Tokyo, Japan
10:00pm KST - Seoul, South Korea
11:00pm AEST - Sydney, Australia