About This Coffee
Jaime and William Catotas’ farm is located in Palo Campana and overlooks Lake Coatepeque. An extended family of Catotas once lived in the area and farmed coffee, but many have left their farms in the past few decades and moved to the city for work. Others have uprooted their coffee trees in favor of other crops like corn, a subsistence crop in the region. Only Jaime and William continue to farm coffee and upkeep the farm in good condition.
For a long time, Jaime and William also struggled to make coffee farming profitable. Before working with Productor, their current exporters, they delivered their coffee to a big mill. The mill provided financing at high interest rates and paid prices for cherry that were below their production costs. This led them into a cycle of debt that they were unable to escape. Now, Productor pays more than twice the C-market price for cherry and provides interest-free financing, helping the Catotas thrive.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Jaime and William selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and process it on their farm. They allow cherry to lightly ferment for 48 hours before laying it to sundry. Cherry is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes 3 to 4 weeks for cherry to dry.
Coffee in El Salvador
Don’t be fooled by El Salvador’s small size. It was once the 4th largest coffee producer worldwide and continues to produce high quality lots. The country is known for its great cupping varieties, such as Bourbon and Pacamara. In fact, two beloved, frequently high-scoring varieties—Pacas and Pacamara— originated in El Salvador.
Unlike other countries, where specialty coffee production has required a great deal of additional investment and training, El Salvador already has a broad and skilled specialty coffee workforce. Farming traditions run deep, and many Salvadorian farmers are extremely passionate about coffee production and continuously strive to improve their crop. El Salvador has optimal conditions for coffee processing. The prolonged dry season typically occurs during the harvest season, making it easier to sun dry coffee.
Though coffee output in the country has been declining for over two decades – exacerbated by the CLR crisis – the approach to coffee production has changed from volume- to quality-driven. A new generation of coffee producers has sprouted around the country with a new vision and approach to production. Many of this generation are experimenting with processing and varietals.