Finca la Puebla
produces between 30 – 40’000 quintales green coffee per year.
About us
Who we are
Finca la Puebla is situated in the northeastern part of the state of Puebla (Municipality of Xicotepec de Juárez) at an altitude of 600 meters above sea level on the Santa Rita plateau. Located at 20 degrees 22′ 50” latitude north, which represents the northern upper limit for coffee growing and thus has very unique regional climatic conditions.
The state of Puebla is the 4th biggest coffee producing state of Mexico (after Chiapas, Veracruz and Oaxaca).
The farm is located about 90 km west of the Gulf of Mexico and 225 kms north east of Mexico City.
Sustainability
First set of NKG Standards for Sustainable Coffee Production were implemented on La Puebla in cooperation with GTZ in 2002. All along ethical farming remained a core issue for the farm and today the farm is certified according to RA, UTZ and 4C.
These certifications are important to the farm but efforts of the farm go beyond what is required and particular emphasis is put on protection of biodiversity, which was largely lost in the region but is still present on the farm in the various forest patches and along waterways.
Coffee Leaf Rust (Roya) has hit the farm in 2016 and is controlled by fungicides. However, it is the farm’s objective to rapidly reduce its dependence on spray controls by rapidly replanting susceptible with tolerant varieties
Berry borer (Broca) is controlled with traps. No other pests are relevant, therefore the farm uses no insecticides.
Estimated 42 kms of small rivers and streams cross the farm with 2 -10 meters buffer zones on both sides and there are also seven lakes with a total surface of 10.4 hectares, as well as approx. 42 hectares of swamp areas and 26 hectares of oak tree forests.
Finca la Puebla was the first farming operation of Neumann Kaffee Gruppe.
Our farm
The farm has a gross area of actually 1,542 hectares
Location | about 90 km west of the Gulf of Mexico and 225 kms north east of Mexico City, at 20 degrees 22′ 50” latitude north |
Altitude |
600 meters |
Gross area | actually 1,542 hectares |
Planted area | 1,290 hectares |
Average plant in density | 3,675 trees / ha |
Coffee nursery (production of new plantlets) | 140’000 per year |
New planting density | 2,850 trees / ha: each year 20 – 30 hectares are newly planted (replacement of coffee fields with more than 20 years). |
Rainy season | June – October (1,600 – 2,200 mm per year) |
Flowering | March / April |
Coffee shipment months | January – June |
Finca la Puebla produces between 30 – 40’000 quintales green coffee per year of which 70% are exported to different destinations. Quality of the coffee is described as a very balanced, pleasantly mild coffee with little acidity.
The coffee is washed, dried and stored as parchment coffee in resting silos.
After 4 – 80 days the parchment is hulled, graded and packed for export on the farm before sending it to the port of Veracruz for shipment.
Finca Puebla’s coffee is fully traceable (bags are marked with FINCA PUEBLA ESTATE COFFEE) along the whole production chain back to the original coffee fields.
Planted varieties are Garnica (Mexican Catuai), Colombia brote café, Marsellesa, plus a number of varieties in observation blocks, such as different Catimor and the Brazilian Acaua Novo, Catigua and Sabia Tardido.
Harvest takes place between October and March, depending the weather condition in spring. Shipment of coffee starts in March and ends in August.