Common mistakes new coffee farmers make
Most of the farms we see struggling did not fail because of bad luck. They failed because of a handful of early decisions that were easy to get wrong. Here are the ones we keep meeting, so you can avoid them.
1. Planting in the wrong place
Coffee has real requirements: altitude, drainage and rainfall. Planting below its comfort zone means years of weak growth no amount of fertiliser will fix. Test the land before you commit to it.
2. Buying uncertified seedlings
A cheap seedling is rarely a bargain. Uncertified plants can carry disease and produce poorly for their entire life. Certified varieties cost a little more and repay it many times over.
3. Skipping land preparation
Holes dug too late, manure not ready, spacing guessed. These small shortcuts weaken establishment, and the tree carries that weakness for years. Prepare early and prepare properly.
4. Treating maintenance as optional
Weeds, pests and unpruned branches quietly drain a farm. Consistent care, a few hours a month, beats heroic rescue efforts every time. A farm that is checked on is a farm that recovers fast.
5. Picking everything, ripe or not
Unripe cherries are hard and green; overripe ones ferment in the bucket. Both drag down the cup quality and the price. Picking only ripe cherry is the cheapest quality upgrade a farmer can make.
6. Ignoring the market until harvest
Growing the coffee is only half the job. Farmers who find a buyer after harvest take whatever they are offered. Farmers who agree a buyer before planting take a fair price. The difference is routine, not luck.
Start the right way, with a buyer already in place
Register with KORU before you plant, get seedlings, support, and a market agreed up front.
Register as a farmer