COLOMBIA CAFISUR DEL TOLIMA

ABOUT THE COOPERATIVE

This coffee comes from small farms in the Colombian department of Chaparral, near the canyon of las Hermosas, which is located in the southern part of the Tolima municipality. Situated in the Magdalena River Valley in the heart of the Andes mountain range, this area is characterized by numerous lakes, a variety of geographical landscapes, and climatic conditions. Thanks to the river, the region is one of the main centers for growing high-quality coffee, cotton, and rice. Local authorities restrict the use of chemical fertilizers in the region. On clay and sandy soils, local farmers mainly cultivate varieties such as Colombia, Castillo, and Caturra. Tolima has long been the epicenter of armed conflicts, resulting in a relatively low population density. However, the situation has been improving lately, with more farmers emerging, and the region now ranks third in Colombia in terms of coffee production volumes. The history of the local cooperative, Cafisur, began in 1966 when a group of 102 farmers, sponsored by the National Federation of Coffee Growers, formed an association, which today is called the Southern Tolima Coffee Producers’ Cooperative. It was created to help address the issues faced by coffee producers in this region with grain marketing and to have its own institution to regulate prices for agricultural resources and products.

PROCESSING WASHED

The main goal of the method is to clean the grain from the pulp immediately after harvest. It is important to select berries that are perfectly ripe at the time of harvesting. Once harvested, the berries are taken to the station, and the next morning, the processing begins. All berries are sent to the station for washing and thoroughly mixed. Cherries that float to the surface (floaters) are discarded, as they indicate grain damage or defects. In the next stage, the grain is cleaned from the pulp using special equipment called a depulper. Afterwards, the grain is dried on parabolic beds until the moisture content reaches 12%. The grain is stored in parchment for one to two months. Before export, it is further cleaned using a huller.