Harvest Report 2020–21
As we wrap up the final contracts for the 2021 harvest season, we wanted to share a few key highlights from this year’s harvest. The team visited a series of coffee producers (with due protection for COVID-19) who generously shared their stories with us to inform this harvest report.
Below are the major themes that came up during the coffee harvest 2021:
On Volumes and Yield
The farmers we work with within the region of Los Santos reported that productivity decreased by 15–50%. Our partner mills also reported receiving half of what they would generally process each year (one partner mill received 700 fanegas* in cherries, dropping from 1500 fanegas in 2020). From everyone we talked to, there seemed to be a general sentiment that the production level has fallen over the last year, with local mills offering a 15–20% more price for the fanega of red coffee cherries throughout the harvest season, compared to that of last year.
*fanega is a volumetric measure used for coffee cherries. One fanega after milling can weigh on average around 46kg in parchment.
On Roya and Anthracnose
While it is hard to generalize for all of our farmer producers since they are located throughout seven different regions of Costa Rica, there were certain regions, with specific varieties that were more affected by Roya and anthracnose. Anthracnose was specifically hard on ‘millennial’ hybrid varieties amongst some of our partners. Our producer partners did not report a specific increase in the incidence of Roya this year compared to that of any other previous years. It’s been a persistent factor affecting production for years for many farms.
On Quality of Coffee
From the round of cupping that our team has completed thus far, we have been impressed by the quality of this year’s harvest. Many coffees also found their homes quite soon after the offer samples were sent. While the delay in harvest season meant that it took us longer to receive the samples and cup the initial lots, the general quality has gone up. At the time of sampling in January-February, we’ve found that some of the coffees have needed more resting time to unlock their potential. As of this post, we are in the final stages of completing the paperwork and preparation at the mills as the coffees are getting ready to be shipped.
On Climate Change and its Impact on Production
Our partner producers in Los Santos (Tarrazu) reported that it rained heavily before the harvest began which significantly affected the harvest — causing the fruits to fall off the trees. Due to a general labor shortage due to COVID-19 and the unpredictable nature of the rainfall, many producers reported losing their yield. During the drying process, from February to April), farmers reported less rain compared to earlier in the season. However, the weather was still not as dry as other years, which slowed down the drying period. Flowerings last year were not concentrated on a specific time and happened quite sporadically throughout the year. This year, we were witnessing flowerings as early as February, especially in Dota and other parts of Los Santos that are at an altitude of 1,800 masl. Maturation also did not happen as concentrated this year and was delayed by a month in Tarrazu (but not as much in West Valley, for instance).
On Labor Shortage
COVID-19 had a major impact on the supply of laborers for the harvest season. Prior to November, the borders were fully closed and the entrance of Nicaraguans was restricted into the country. Costa Rica heavily depends on Nicaragua and Panama for labor during the harvest season, and these restrictions directly impacted the ability of our partner producers to harvest their coffees on time.
Due to the labor shortage, producers in the Tarrazu region and other parts reported being ‘thankful’ that their harvest was delayed this year. By the time the cherries were ready for harvesting, policies had slightly eased and migrants could travel. Although the timing worked out in their favor, farmers explained that securing labor this year was at a higher cost compared to years prior. They had to pay an additional ~$100 per person to work for them and provide private transportation from the border to their farm. From our conversations, we learned that most of the labor was from Panama ( indigenous groups tend to have dual citizenship for Costa Rica and Panama) and Nicaraguan workers that were not able to go back to their home after last year’s harvest because COVID-19 were also part of the labor force. As an organization, we created a call center in collaboration with the Coffee Institute of Costa Rica to connect seasonal farm laborers and producers.
If you are a buyer and would like to learn more about our market outreach programs and offerings, please get in touch with us!
This was definitely not the easiest year for coffee producers as they were faced with both climate-related challenges addition to economic ones. We will continue to provide support as needed on the ground through necessities, food support, and others. We invite you to follow us on our social media to stay updated!
Written by Bean Voyage
Edited by Kayla Sippl
