Raimutin Natural

Timor-Leste, one of the world’s youngest nations, is writing a new chapter in its history. As oil reserves begin to decline, coffee is set to become the country’s most vital export. In the municipality of Ermera, where coffee is more than a crop, it represents a future. In these lush highlands, around 60% of the population lives below the poverty line, and coffee provides a lifeline for thousands of families.

Despite this importance, productivity remains extremely low, and profitability is both limited and volatile. This is largely because almost all coffee is sold on the commodity market at a discounted C price. To address this, our partners met with producer groups across villages in Atsabe to understand how the coffee market has served them in recent years.

The Raimutin wet mill serves as a central hub for processing the cherry from producers we work with across the Ermera municipality. Located at 1,400 masl, the wet mill functions not only as a place to purchase, process, and dry cherry, but also as a meeting point for village chiefs, neighborhood leaders, and our Raw Material team.

Expanding access to specialty coffee as a viable and profitable option depends heavily on training and knowledge-sharing. The Raimutin wet mill has successfully served as a hub for training courses in cultivation, picking, and processing for local producers.

Grown at altitudes between 1,400 and 1,600 masl, these coffees thrive in the mountainous terrain of Atsabe. Smallholder farmers cultivate Typica, Timor Hybrid, and Moka varieties, reflecting generations of tradition and resilience. Each lot embodies the hard work of farming families and a shared commitment to quality and sustainability.

Coffee is Timor-Leste’s most important agricultural crop. With declining oil income, strengthening the coffee sector is critical to the country’s future. Today, coffee is the second-highest earner after oil, with 37% of households dependent on coffee for income.

Ripe cherry is carefully selected and first floated in water to separate by density, with higher-density cherry indicating higher quality. Low-density, less mature cherry floats to the surface and is removed. Raimutin station staff then carefully hand-sort the cherry to remove any damaged or underripe fruit. Drying takes place on raised beds under strong sun for approximately three weeks, with regular turning to ensure even airflow and sun exposure. Once optimal dryness is reached, coffee is milled. The remaining cherry material is not discarded but returned to farmers for use as fertilizer.