Guatemala El Puente

El Puente is a coffee farm located in La Libertad, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, at an altitude of 1,800 meters above sea level.

El Puente employs 8 permanent workers and between 10 to 25 temporary workers per trimester. The farm spans 6 hectares, producing approximately 1,500 kilograms of green coffee per hectare. The main challenges in coffee production include climate change, fluctuating rainfall patterns, rising fertilizer costs, and a significant decrease in available labor. These challenges necessitate careful planning and execution to ensure successful production. Future plans include separating the productive matrix by coffee variety to increase yield, while maintaining high quality. The farm is also focused on enhancing biodiversity by planting more trees to improve environmental efficiency.

Pest and disease management is proactive, with regular monitoring to prevent outbreaks. The farm uses a flower index to predict plant susceptibility based on weather conditions. The traceability of the coffee is rigorously maintained, with every step from cultivation to export recorded in a software system that logs specific hours and dates.

Financially, the farm faces challenges due to rising production costs, labor shortages, and inflation. To remain competitive, the farm focuses on quality production in its middle and high-altitude areas, while increasing productivity in lower-altitude areas using resistant coffee varieties.