Posted on

Colombia – Growing and Harvesting

Located near the equator, Colombia boasts a diverse landscape that offers ideal conditions for coffee cultivation, with much of the coffee grown under shade. The country encompasses five primary coffee zones, each comprising nineteen sub-regions, benefiting from a mild climate and elevated altitudes, some surpassing 2,000 meters above sea level. The cooler temperatures at higher elevations result in slower cherry ripening, enhancing acidity, cleanliness, and aroma. Although varietals cultivated here typically yield less, they exhibit greater resilience to pests, making high-altitude coffee highly coveted.

Thanks to Colombia’s expansive coffee-growing regions, harvesting occurs year-round, with the main harvest, known as the “main crop” or principal, spanning from October to February, peaking in November and December. A secondary harvest, known as the “fly crop” or Mitaca, follows approximately six months later. This phenomenon is made possible by the north-to-south orientation of the Cordillera Central, the highest branch of the Colombian Andes, coupled with the moist air from both the Pacific and Caribbean oceans. Despite the short duration of each harvest, the commencement of harvesting varies across regions due to Colombia’s diverse topography and countless micro-climates.

Common varietals cultivated include Castillo, Caturra, Maragogype, Tabi, Typica, Bourbon, and Colombia. The Colombia varietal, developed from Caturra and Timor by Cenicafe (the National Coffee Research Centre established by the FNC), was introduced in 1982 to combat leaf rust disease. This productive and disease-resistant varietal is credited with reviving Colombia’s coffee industry in the mid-1980s. Notable coffee-producing regions include Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindio, collectively referred to as the Coffee Triangle, recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites, along with Tolima, Antioquia, Santander, and Cauca.

The majority of producers operate small family-owned farms, many of which are affiliated with the Federacion Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC). On average, a Colombian coffee family produces approximately 1,400 kilograms (about 2,360 pounds) of green coffee per year. Achieving this volume necessitates meticulous cherry selection during the collection process, followed by washing and drying to ensure product quality, with defective beans discarded during this phase.