Why is coffee available all year round in Colombia?
Have you ever heard that coffee is available all year round in Colombia? While in the vast majority of coffee-producing countries there is only one harvest per year, the situation in Colombia is special! In some regions, there are several harvest periods a year. So it's fair to say that coffee in Colombia is available all year round. In varying quantities, but available!
What does the flowering of the coffee plant depend on?
To make a coffee cherry, you first need a flower. If the coffee tree doesn't flower, there will be no cherry and, ultimately, no coffee.
The quantity and distribution of flowering on the tree are important indicators for the grower, as they help predict the coming harvest. The more flowers there are, the more coffee there will be to pick.
The flowering of the coffee tree is closely linked to climatic conditions, such as :
- the length of time the coffee plant is exposed to light, or photoperiod ;
- the degree of sun exposure;
- variations in air temperature;
- the distribution of wet and dry periods.
Why is it so different in Colombia?
In countries like Ethiopia, India or Brazil, the dry and wet periods are quite distinct. This is why there is only one flowering period, and therefore only one harvesting period.
In the case of Colombia, the dry and wet periods are not always clearly defined. This is one of the characteristics of Colombia: the variability of climatic elements is more pronounced.
In other words, the weather changes several times a day, all year round, and this means that coffee trees flower at different times of the year.
If we add to this the fact that in Colombia, coffee is grown on different mountain ranges, at different altitudes and with different exposure to climatic events, the variation in the factors we have just mentioned is even greater.
This is all the more true in the presence of meteorological phenomena such as La Niña (rain) and El Niño (drought).
What are the different harvest periods in Colombia?
In Colombia, there are several flowering periods, and therefore harvest periods, specific to each region. The main crop is known as the “main crop”, while the secondary crop is known as the “fly crop” or "mitaca".
Of course, it is difficult to date these periods precisely. But there is a general trend, depending on the coffee-growing region:
- Antioquia : main crop from september to december
- Cauca : main crop from mars to june, fly crop from october to november
- Huila : main crop from mars to june, fly crop from october to november
- Nariño : main crop from mars to june, fly crop from october to november
- Quindio : main crop from september to december, fly crop from april to may
- Santander : main crop from september to december
- Sierra Nevada : main crop from september to december
- Tolima : main crop from mars to june, fly crop from october to november
Now you know why it's said that Arabica coffee, the only type of coffee grown in Colombia, is available all year round!
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