2024 Colombia Harvest Update

To get insights from the second half of the 2023/24 Colombian harvest and on what to expect for the 2024/25 crop, we spoke with Oscar Fernando Hurtado, Research Manager of the Americas and Luis Guillermo Jaramillo, Research Manager, as well as with our Sustainability team.

Here’s a quick summary of what they shared with us:

• The 2023/24 crop has seen a 10% increase over the previous cycle. However, quality has been affected due to the dryness observed during Q1-2024.
• Coffee Berry Borer has been increasingly observed, resulting in higher volumes of low-grades.
• IMPACT, Sucafina’s Responsible Sourcing Program, has been implemented since 2023. Currently, 11,234 farms in Colombia are IMPACT verified, and the goal for the end of 2024 is to reach 20,000 farms.

The 2023/2024 Harvest

This year’s harvest has recovered compared to the previous coffee year. This is due to drier weather conditions in the second half of last year, which were favorable for coffee flowering during the first half of this crop year. The main harvest in regions such as Santander, Antioquia, and the “Eje Cafetero” (October-December) is also expected to increase.

El Niño was favorable for Colombia due to the increased sun exposure, leading to a 10% production increase, with the harvest rising from 11,000,000 bags in 2022/23 to 12,200,000 in 2023/24. Still, cherry quality was negatively impacted due to insufficient water and higher temperatures, particularly in lowland areas with high sun exposure and no shade. This resulted in fruit with lower quality at harvest time.

Due to the same climatic conditions, more physical defects are present due to coffee berry borer increasing in some regions, peaking during the year's first half. We have reports of incidence in high-altitude zones like Nariño, Cauca, and Huila during the first semester of the year. 

Although there could be better volume this year compared to last year, there are concerns about labor availability due to the harvest period coinciding with the country’s rainy season. For instance, Antioquia alone needs around 40,000 pickers, and Huila needs another large number, as well as Caldas.

What to expect for 2025?

The harvest pace of 24/25 is expected to begin in late September in the central region, peaking in October and dropping off in January.

During July, August, and September, there was a moderate water deficit of 30%. However, there have been reports of flowering in Cauca, Nariño, parts of Huila and southern Tolima, which are key areas for the first-semester harvest and responsible for most of the crop. The harvest in the first few months of 2025 will likely be delayed, starting in mid-to-late April. We are still waiting for the October and November flowerings to determine the total first-semester harvest.

The second-semester harvest of this year has already begun. Based on the flowerings that occurred at the end of January, the harvest is expected to peak in October and November, with most of the coffee concentrated in those months. We will probably see a decline in volume in December and small amounts of coffee in December from January to April.

Sustainability Efforts in Colombia

Since 2023, we have been working on the implementation of IMPACT, our responsible sourcing program, within our supply chain. Currently 11,234 farms have achieved verification, and we hope that by the end of the year, we will have around 20,000 farms in total, covering a wide range of suppliers in all regions of the country. IMPACT verification is one of our key vehicles for offering our clients coffee that goes beyond compliance with incoming regulations, such as EUDR.

Furthermore, the second phase of the “Coffee for Clean Water” initiative will take place at the Nuestra Señora del Carmen Integrated School in Norte de Santander department, in the Catatumbo region. Sucafina, Cooperacafé, and Fundación Local Partners support this project.

For this second phase, a potable water treatment plant with a capacity of 3,000 liters per hour will be installed, benefiting 290 students and 25 staff members. This infrastructure is critical to improving the quality of life and well-being of the school community, as, for the first time, they will have access to potable water on school grounds.

Project details are currently being finalized, and the treatment plant is expected to be installed and inaugurated by the end of 2024.

If you are interested in learning more about our sustainability efforts in Colombia or if you are in need of some fresh coffee from this country, reach out to your trader to learn about our current offers.