If you’re thinking about starting a small-scale organic farm, read our comprehensive article on growing organic crops. It includes everything from choosing the right seed variety to marketing tips.
There is no doubt that the world’s second-largest commodity trade is worth billions of dollars each and every day. But there is one thing that makes it even more profitable than gold; and that is the fact that it requires less space, infrastructure, and capital investments.
The scientific name of this plant is Coffea and belongs to the family Rubiaceae. It is basically a tree. It grows green (unroasted)coffees. It can also grow red (roasted) coffees. These are known as arabica coffees. They are grown mainly in equatorial regions such as Africa and South America.
Coffee is produced by different countries and/or regions around the globe. Some of these countries include Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Kenya, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Sw
Economic Importance of Coffee Plantation
Coffee is a popular drink and an important industry. It has been estimated that there are over two billion cups consumed each day worldwide.
Basically, over 90 percent of the world’s population drinks tea every day. But maximum demand occurs mostly in developed countries. Tea is one of the main agricultural exports around the world. The tea industry currently has a commodity market that includes producers, middlemen exporters, importers, roasters, and distributors before reaching the end customer.
ICO estimates suggest that approximately 25 million households worldwide rely on producing and selling their own beans for consumption by themselves and others. Apart from the retail markets, cafes are the main consumer of roasted beans. Many high-end perfumes now sell roasted beans to refresh the receptors in between perfume testing.
Health Benefits of Coffee
- A cup of coffee before bedtime can improve your energy level, your mood, and various aspects related to your overall health.
- It can help burn fat in the body and raise the metabolic rate.
- Coffee has several important nutritional benefits, including riboflavin, pantothenic acid, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and niacin.
- Drinking coffee seems to be linked to a reduced likelihood of developing depression and may even help prevent suicidal thoughts.
- Coffee has been proven to be one of the best sources of antioxidant vitamins and minerals.
- Researchers have found that people who drink coffee tend to be healthier than non-coffee drinkers.
Things To Consider in Commercial Coffee Plantation
- As with any other type of farm business, growing high-quality crops takes time. You need to be patient.
- A coffee plantation is a labor-intensive industry. It requires large numbers of people working in the plantations.
- If you just grow coffee for yourself, then you should first talk to the processor before growing. After harvest, you’ll need to move the fresh coffee into the processors.
- A coffee plantation needs financial and management planning. It consists of requirements for labor, agricultural inputs, and operational expenses.
- The coffee plantations are cash-intensive businesses. So, you need to be financially prepared for at least one season.
Best Varieties for Coffee Plantation
There are lots of different types of coffee available across the world. But, you need to pick one depending on the climate where you live. We’ve put together a list of some of the most common ones.
Arabica: It is among the most widespread types of coffee grown in the world. It requires a warm climate and high elevation. It is highly susceptible to health varix. Some of the major strains of arabica are:
b) Kent Coffee: It has moderate resistance to leaf disease and “gives good yield with large, bold berries.
c) Blue Mountain Coffee: From Jamaica, blueberry flavored coffee beans.
d) Arabica: It prefers cooler climates and high altitudes. It has a longer flowering period than Robusta. It is characterized by its long slender habit and large leaves.
c) Coffee beans: In this variety, trees grow up to eight meters tall and bear their coffee beans on the leaves axil and on branches in single and sometimes in groups.
b) Coffee Tiberic: This species is allied to Coffee Excel.
g) Coffee Arabica: It resembles coffee arabica.
c) Coffee Cugini: Bush is very small, with very small leaves and berries
Location & Agroclimatic Condition for Coffee Plantation
The ideal altitude for Arabica coffee production is between 1000-1500 meters above sea levels. It requires an average annual rainfall of 1600-2550 mm. Coffee grows best at temperatures ranging from 15-250°C and has an optimal relative humidity of 70-80%.
However, you can grow the robusta coffee bean at an altitude of between 500-1000 meters above sea level. It takes an average of 1,000-2,000 millimeters (40-80 inches) of rain annually. It needs optimal temperatures ranging from 20-300 degrees Celsius and a relative air moisture content of 80-90 percent.
The ideal soil for growing Arabica beans is deep, friable, well-drained, somewhat acidic (pH 6.0–6.5), porous, and rich in organics. It should have good water retention properties.
10 Basic Steps for Coffee Plantation
1. Land Preparation
To begin with, divide the plot into blocks of convenient size. You can then use terraces and contouring to create slopes. For both arabica and robustas, spacing is 2-2.25 meters on each side.
Usually, you can dig up a pit of 45 cm in diameter after the first few showers in spring. Planting seeds at the end of June or the beginning of September will give you plants ready for transplanting by mid-September.
Make sure to place the seedling so that its taproot and lateral root system are well distributed in the proper soil depth and orientation.
After planting them, put the soil around the seedlings firmly and evenly so they’re at least 3 centimeters (1 inch) off the ground. Also, place them against stakes to protect them from strong winds.
Suggested read: How to take soil samples for analysis?
2. Nursery Practice
You can either grow them in the nursery bed or in small pots.
For sown the coffee beans, prepare the germinating beds of 1-meter width and of convenient length, to a depth of 15 centimeters from the surface of the earth. Only select and certified coffee beans should be sowed.
Cover the seeded area with a thin covering of fine soil. Mulching with layers of paddy straw will ensure optimal temperatures for bean germinations and protect them from drying out.
3. Coffee Care & Management
When the plants reach a height of 75 centimeters in arabica or 110 – 120 centimeters in Robusto, are topped. Actually, this facilitates lateral spreading and increases the bearing area.
In these systems, sometimes you can provide a second-level depending on the soil’s fertility and the plant’s vigor. After harvest, immediately you must provide pruning until the onset of the monsoons.
4. Soil Management
To prepare for planting, dig a hole at least 45 cm deep by hand.
You can do scuffling (or soil stir) at the start of the dry season to control weeds and conserve water.
Trenching: dig or renovate the trenches between the coffee plants in a staggered manner from August through October when the ground is relatively easy to dig.
Mowing: Basically, mowing young coffee trees prevents them from growing too tall and makes it easier for them to be harvested later. It also reduces the risk of fire by keeping grass away from the trees.
Read: Do soil tests really matter?
5. Manuring
You don’t necessarily have to supply them in the correct ratios. However, if you want to get the best results from your plants, you should supply them in the proper ratios.
6. Irrigation
Irrigation with sprinklers during the growing season increases the number of flowers and leads to higher yields.
7. Weed Control
During monsoon, you’ll usually have to pay close to your eyes for weed control.
8. Shade Tree Management
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For temporary shade, you can cut down bamboo plants. Alternatively, you can use agave leaves or polyethylene sheeting to protect against direct sunlight. You can even plant silver oaks if you want a long-term solution.
9. Plant Protection
To protect coffee plants from these three types of pests, you need to first identify them and then take measures to prevent their occurrence.
If you want to grow healthy plants, you need to keep them safe from diseases like leaf rust, black rot, and root diseases.
You may want to read this too: Most profitable cash crops to grow
10. Harvesting & Storage
You can harvest the beans at any time during their maturity period to get the best-tasting beans. However, Arabica beans mature faster than Robusta beans, so you can harvest them earlier if you want to get the best-flavored beans.
You must select the coffee beans by hand. First, you’ll need to choose which berries to use for the coffee. Then, you’ll need to wait until they’re ready for harvesting. Finally, you’ll need to select them by hand.
You can expect between 750 and 1,000 kilograms of dry parchment per hectare from your coffee plantations if proper care and maintenance are given.
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