Coffee Farming

Why 6 months? Because that is one real production cycle for coffee farming. You study each month's material while your own operation (or your planning) goes through exactly that stage. By graduation you have either harvested/sold your first production or hold a complete, costed plan ready for funding.

Structure: 6 monthly modules → lessons → practical assignments → a 10-question quiz each month → final business project.

How to study (hybrid): Online — work through each month on your phone, log sessions in the Study Diary, ask the rAs AI assistant anything. Offline — save this page and do the practicals in the real world.

• Coffea arabica: fine, complex flavour (60% of world trade)
• Coffea robusta: hardy, bitter, high caffeine (40% of trade)
• Climate: 15–24°C; altitude 600–2000m (cooler = slower ripening = flavour)
• Soil: rich, well-drained, pH 6–6.5 (acidic)
• Shade: 30–50% recommended (ecology + quality)
• Calculate: 1 hectare holds 3,000–5,000 coffee trees

• Seed sourcing: certified disease-free seed
• Nursery bed: 12–18 months before field planting
• Shade cloth: 50–70% for young seedlings
• Watering: consistent, not waterlogged
• Hardening: reduce shade 3 months before planting
• Calculate: nursery loss 20%; produce 600 seedlings/100m²

• Contour ploughing: prevent erosion on slopes
• Shade: banana, avocado, or native trees (30–50% canopy)
• Mulch: coffee pulp, compost, leaves (6–10cm depth)
• Soil: add compost, manure, lime if pH < 6
• Drainage: raised beds on flat ground; terraces on slopes
• Calculate: shade trees cost $50–100/hectare setup

• Spacing: 1.5m × 2m or 1.8m × 1.8m (arabica)
• Plant in rainy season; mulch generously
• First 3 years: fertilise, weed, prune for structure
• Pin-back growth: encourage branching for bushy shape
• Shade management: gradual reduction as trees establish
• Calculate: trees fruit at 3–4 years; mature at 6–7 years

• Leaf rust: orange pustules on leaf undersides (major threat)
• Coffee berry borer (CBB): tiny insect inside cherries
• Root rot: fungal disease in waterlogged soil
• Nematodes: parasitic worms in soil (no good solution)
• Organic control: neem oil, sulfur, pruning, sanitation
• Calculate: leaf rust + CBB can reduce yield 30–50%

• Flowers: white, fragrant clusters (lasts 2–3 weeks)
• Pollination: self-fertile (no external pollinator needed)
• Cherry formation: starts at flower wilting
• Development: 6–11 months from flower to ripe cherry
• Yield: mature tree produces 1–2kg dry bean (3–4kg cherry)
• Calculate: 1 hectare mature = 800kg–1,500kg green bean/year

• Ripeness: red/maroon cherry (species dependent)
• Picking: selective harvest (only ripe) vs strip harvest (all)
• Processing: wet (washed) or dry (natural sun-dried)
• Wet: ferment 12–48hr, wash, dry to 12% moisture (2 weeks)
• Dry: sun-dry whole cherry 3–4 weeks, hull to remove husk
• Calculate: 10kg cherry → 2kg dry bean (80% loss = normal)

• Grade: size (screen 16–20 best), defects (max 8% allowed)
• Roasting: green bean → brown (flavour development)
• Sales: local traders (bulk), export (specialty), direct roast (premium)
• Price: fluctuates globally; contract farming locks price
• Certification: organic (+30% premium), fair trade, direct trade
• Calculate: 1 hectare = $2,000–4,000 annual revenue at origin

• Your national Department of Agriculture — technical guidance, regulations
• rAs AI Assistant — ask about anything in the course; available 24/7
• Local farmer groups (if available) — peer learning, market connections