Overview

Altitude Range: 800 – 1500 MASL

Language Spoken: Spanish

Harvest: October – March

Annual Coffee Production: 1,500,000 bags (Crop 2013) – ICO

Common Varieties: Arabica – Caturra, Bourbon, Pacamara, Maragogype, Maracaturra, Catuai, Catimor

Avg Farm Size: Small producers with farm size fewer than 3 hectares.

Growing Regions

Coffee production is divided in three regions: north central, northeast and south pacific

North Central

The Matagalpa, Jinotega, and Boaco departments form this region. The majority (83.80%) of the total production comes from the northern part of the country. The Isabelia, Peñas Blancas, Matagalpa and Jinotega Mountains create different microclimates that help the production of coffee.

Northeast

The Madriz, Nueva Segovia, and Estelí departments form this region. This region accounts for 13.60% of the total production. Dipilto and Jalapa within Nueva Segovia are the municipalities where most coffee plantations are.

South Pacific

Carazo, Granada, Masaya, Managua, and Rivas are the producing departments within the south Pacific region. Lower altitudes are found in this region, and it produces the least coffee.

Processing

Coffees from Nicaragua are most commonly fully washed and dried on patios, but natural and pulped natural coffees are often occasionally found.