About This Coffee
Loiludo farmer group is composed of farmers in Lebululi neighborhood in the Dukurai village community. The group is led by Miguel Lemos and Simiao Pedro de Deus. Simiao is a highly respected figure in the community who plays a significant role in Loiludo Farmers’ Group. He’s also a skilled producer, as evidenced by his placement in the top-10 in the Best of Harvest Timor 2019 competition. His farming skills have also led him to take the role of lead farmer. He helps educate other member farmers about best practices; and, as a quality officer, he checks for consistency in quality and moisture levels in the parchment members produce.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Producers harvest and process cherry on their own farms. Due to the size of most plots, coffee is typically handpicked by landowners and their family. Following harvest, farming households typically pulp cherry with the tradition, locally made pulpers that they fashion from gum-wood and hammered tin. Coffee is fermented in buckets or bags for approximately 36 hours and then washed in clean water. Parchment is laid to dry on tarps.
For farmers in Loiludo Farmers’ Group, coffee is their main source of income. They may supplement their income by selling beans, corn, garlic, greens and other vegetables on the local market.
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.