About This Coffee
Manuel da Costa Silva leads the 23 farmer members of the Goulala farmer group. The group is located in the Goulolo village community in northeast Letefoho. Manuel is an important community member in the community with a wealth of coffee cultivation and processing knowledge that he’s amassed over decades of growing and processing coffee in Flores, Indonesia and Timor-Leste. He is also the lead field officer for Lutlala washing station, where we coordinates cherry delivery.
Cultivation
Manuel’s farm also function as a model farm for other farmers in the area. On his land, Manuel demonstrates new cultivation techniques and shares his knowledge with farmers in the group.
Most farms are small gardens managed by the family. For many, coffee is their primary source of income. Families often supplement their incomes by selling crops like beans, corn, garlic and greens that they can intercrop with their coffee. Food crops grown in these gardens are also a major source of nutrition for many families.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Our village lots are processed to dry parchment at the individual farmer level. Each family harvests and processes their own cherry. After selective handpicking, cherry is pulped in traditional pulpers that are locally made from gum-wood and hammered tin. Coffee is then fermented in bucked or bags for about 36 hours and washed in clean water. Families spread wet parchment on tarpaulins to sundry.
Coffee in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste has had a long and tumultuous history that has seen colonization, several occupations, independence and a long and difficult path to peace. Coffee has played a role in Timor-Leste’s economy since the beginning of the country’s modern history.
While coffee production in Timor-Leste continues to expand and quality continues to improve, the climate presents difficulties. The arid weather and short rainy season make it difficult for coffee cherry to grow. On top of contrarian weather, the low nutrient-content in the soil and negligible access to fertilizers and pesticides makes it more difficult for coffee trees to thrive. The average farmer currently collects only about 500 grams of green coffee per tree (2-3 kg cherry).
Timor-Leste’s coffee industry is prevailing in the face of these difficulties. Both quality and productivity are rapidly increasing. Small changes are increasing coffee quality by leaps and bounds, while several programs, funded by NGOs, are working to fundamentally change coffee harvesting and processing in the country.
The government is also playing a role in improving coffee quality by investing in infrastructure, such as new roads, that will make transporting both cherry and parchment easier. Timor-Leste is poised to be a reliable producer of good quality and versatile coffees.
We’re proud to be active in Timor-Leste. We work alongside farmers, cooperatives and agricultural extension officers to help farmers increase yields and quality. Our goal is to work with our partners to help farmers reach an average yield of 2.5 kilograms per tree while also increasing quality. Higher production and higher quality will mean larger incomes for farmers.