On 3 August 2015, H.E. Mr. Pitchayaphant Charnbhumidol, Ambassador of Thailand to Brazil, his wife and the delegation from Royal Thai Embassy in Brasilia visited Café Bento Grão’s coffee factory in the city of Lavras, 220 km. from Belo Horizonte the capital city of the State of Minas Gerais, as well as the coffee plantation nearby. They also received briefing from representatives of the National Institute of Science and Technology of Coffee (INCT Café) of the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA). The purpose of this visit was to look for the possibility of future trade cooperation between Thailand and Minas Gerias. 

 

            Café Bento Grão was established in 2007, it produces quality coffee under the standard of Brazilian Association of Coffee Industry (ABIC) and Coffee Quality Program (PQC). The coffee plant uses high technology in production and sell its products to both domestic and international markets. During the visit to Café Bento Grão, the Ambassador and his delegation went to see the coffee production plant and observed the process of coffee making from raw coffee beans to the ready-to-sell products.

 

            At the INCT Café at UFLA, the delegation learned about the University’s development, coffee harvesting technology and the method of disease and pest control as well as visiting the nearby coffee plantation.