Description
“Flor María García Salazar is a 40-year-old coffee producer from Cajamarca, Peru. She has been dedicated to coffee production since the age of 20.
Her farm parcel is located in Buenos Aires de La Palma, District of La Coipa, Province of San Ignacio, Cajamarca Region, Peru, at an altitude of 1,850 meters above sea level. She currently cultivates 1 hectare of coffee and harvested 22 quintals in the 2025 season.
She grows the Marshel variety on her parcel. Her primary processing method is washe. She begins with selective picking and then rests the cherries for approximately 24 hours in plastic bags and polyethylene sacks. After depulping, she ferments the coffee for about 36 hours. She then washes the coffee three times, allows it to drain and air for around three hours, and transfers it to a solar dryer. Drying typically takes 12 to 18 days. Once drying is complete, she rests the coffee for 15 days before delivering it to Falcon Coffees’ collection point.
Farm management focuses on maintaining both quality and productivity. She applies fertilizer twice per year. For pest and disease control, she uses biological products, including Beauveria bassiana, and her main concern is rust. She also performs annual selective pruning, removing unhealthy vegetative material to keep the farm in good condition.
Over the past one to two years, she has renewed new areas to increase production. She has also improved her post-harvest infrastructure by adding a solar dryer and a tank system used during processing.
Her current challenges include limited labor availability for timely harvesting during the peak season and increased pest and disease pressure linked to climate variability. These factors raise production costs and reduce household income.
She is proud of improving productivity while maintaining quality and securing a fair, competitive price aligned with the local market. Routine farm tasks such as fertilization, weeding, pruning, and pest management are carried out with support from her family. During harvest, she hires independent workers from nearby communities.
Looking ahead to the next two to three years, she aims to further improve productivity and cup quality to access better market prices and become a leading, recognized producer in her locality.”
Falcon Coffees
