Harvesting And Processing

The harvesting period in El Salvador starts in October in the below lying areas and extends through march for the high altitude areas. The bulk is harvested from late November to early January. Selective hand-Picking is the prevalent harvest method, the unripe beans are separated before sending to the mills. The fresh cherries are transported the day they are harvested for immediate pulping in order to prevent fermentation. This is made possible thanks to relatively close concentration of coffee regions, the fact that mills are well distributed in this areas, the existence of more than 460 collecting points and an adequate network of feeder roads.

Coffee is wet processed in El Salvador, so cherries must be picked an their optimum stage of ripeness, when they exhibit a bright red color. Producers don`t engage in any of the delicate processing activities which are carried out by millers who are integrated from the sourcing to the export activity. These millers normally have a capacity to process from 1,000 to 5,000 quintals daily (one qq=one 46kg.bags) of green coffee, volumes that assure a homogeneous product. An abundance of drying decks an sunlight allows a significant amount of coffee to be sun-dried.

A coffee harvest is normally concentrated in a three-month period, whereas exports are spread over the year.

Coffee is therefore stored in parchment in exporters warehouses in areas where relative humidity does not exceed 70%.

Itzalco Premium is El Salvador`s gourmet coffee. These beans are 100% of the bourbon variety and come from farms 4,600 feet above sea level. At the milling stage they are subject to natural fermentation, and washed in fresh water. Once pulped, the beans are sun patio dried, then stored and stabilized for moisture in wooden silos.

Itzalco Premium reaches the markets with zero defects and a bean size 100% over screen 16.