Flores Laga Lizu Natural

In 2024, Sucafina established the Laga Lizu Central Processing Unit (CPU) in partnership with local communities in the district of Ngada on Indonesia’s Flores Island. Today, the facility supports farmers with agronomic training, quality control guidance and access to markets for a wide range of coffees, expanding beyond traditional wet hulling to include Anaerobically fermented fully washed, honey and natural process lots.

PT Sucafina Indonesia partners with farmers from the Bajawa ethnic community for processing at the CPU. “Laga Lizu,” meaning "above the clouds" in the Bajawa language, takes its name from one of Indonesia's most renowned coffee regions. The Bajawa community are known for its matrilineal society, where land ownership is passed down through women. Many women in the region own and manage their family coffee farms.

Flores is celebrated not only for its coffee but also for its rich cultural heritage, seen in traditional villages like Bena and Waerebo along with its stunning natural landmarks such as Kelimutu Lake and the habitat of the iconic Komodo dragon. The coffee here thrives in loamy, volcanic soil, fed by the nearby active volcanoes Inerie, Ebulobo and Wawomudha, soil that resembles rich chocolate cake in texture and color.

Coffee plays a central role in Bajawa culture. Visitors are always greeted with a hot cup of black coffee, a symbol of hospitality. Nearly every household has a coffee farm, and multiple households often share a pulper, ensuring a high standard of parchment quality.

This Natural lot reflects the rich coffee heritage of Flores. In the cup, expect tropical fruit notes along with rich chocolate and a sweet, comforting aftertaste. 

In Bajawa, farming is typically polyculture. Coffee farms are interplanted with crops like ginger (halia) and staples such as colocasia (talas) and chayote (labu), used primarily as pig feed. Most farmers are smallholders, with an average farm size of just 0,66 hectares. Organic farming practices dominate, aided by the region's frequent mist and cloud cover. 

Coffee cultivation is concentrated on the island’s rugged volcanic slopes, where the fertile, nutrient-rich volcanic soil contributes to the production of high-quality coffee. By fostering collaboration and innovation, coffees from Flores continues to shine as a distinctive origin for exceptional quality. 

Ripe cherries are harvested from morning through the early afternoon and delivered to PT Sucafina Indonesia's Laga Lizu facility. At Laga Lizu, strict protocols are kept in place to ensure delivered cherries are in optimal quality.  

At Laga Lizu, freshly picked cherries are sorted and floated. Selected cherries are then fermented for 72 hours before being transferred to raised beds to dry. During this stage, the cherries are raked regularly to ensure even drying, while any defective fruit is removed to prevent spoilage. It typically takes 14 days for the cherries to dry, depending on the weather. Once drying is completed, dried cherries are graded, milled, bagged and ready to export. 

Flores is one of the smaller islands in the Indonesian archipelago. It is only 580 kilometers long. The island is located 320 kilometers to the east of Bali.  

Most coffee production on Flores is generally situated on the rugged slopes of the island’s many active and inactive volcanoes. Volcanic soil is fertile and verdant and helps with high-quality coffee production. 

Production on the island is predominately shade-grown, and historically, semi-washed home processing had been the norm. However, due to industry growth, this traditional processing has increasingly given way more to Fully washed and Wet Hulled methods

Also known locally as Jember, Linie S-795 was selected by Balehonnor Coffee Research Station in India. The variety was selected by R.L. Narasimhaswamy and is the product of a cross between S288 (a natural hybrid of Liberica and Arabica) and an older Kent variety, a Typica family-plant that had been adapted to growing conditions in India.