When hearing about UMAU, we want you to know how happy we are to obtain the best cacao in Colombia; at the same time, we have more valuable motives that make our work much easier and more motivational.
UMAU is a company dedicated to the production and commercialization of fine and dry cacao beans of origin, which represents the traditional and crafted production of cacao and its image at an international level.
It has been a task full of planning, organization, time, and considerable effort focused on the search for land and the selection of suitable plant material in order to offer a panorama that represents potential, viability, and opportunity in terms of sustainability.
We know our land gives us unparalleled fruits that we must compensate for at the same time by taking care of their ecosystem.
Our large family and our cacao come from different regions of Colombia but mainly from Cimitarra, Santander, where our own plantation is located; from Santa Marta, where we work with small producers and associations; and from Northeast Antioquia, Urabá, and Cesar.
Thanks to these rich soils, we have obtained different types of cacaos, all with high-quality standards for different customers with a wide variety of profiles and origins.
On September 1st, 2015, after much planning, we began the first works to transform the Hacienda Monte Oscuro (in Northern Colombia) into one of the biggest cacao plantations in the country.
By April 2016, the second stage began, and 162,000 cacao plants were established. Cacao planting began, and more than 459,000 plants were established.
By May 2017, the third stage of the project began, in which 192,000 cacao plants were planted.
In November 2019, the last planting stage was carried out to date, accumulating 704,000 planted plants.
UMAU is formed by a Private Capital Fund with 76 Colombian investors, making it the only project with 100% Colombian capital.
At the Hacienda Monte Oscuro, there are 704 hectares of cacao planted with high technology for greater efficiency today, which is why we want this model to be replicated throughout the country.
In our plantation, we have an agroforestry system consisting mainly of native forests, abarco trees ( Cariniana pyriformis) and mata ratón trees (Gliricidia sepium), that allow us to guarantee a crop with an optimal production that respects the criteria of environmental sustainability.
It is evident in our work the different stakeholders for whom we work and who are our main source of inspiration when developing new strategies aimed at benefiting the agro-industrial sector, the community, and the biodiversity of the areas where we have influence.
So today, we work for our land and our people, to obtain a product with high-quality standard, but also, taking care of our flora and fauna, opening the way for new generations of producers who train and identify themselves with our project because it guarantees education and economic and social progress for all.