For almost four decades the Santa Isabel estate has been growing coffee and roasting it on its premises with machines powered by water and coal.
But production could fall this year at the massive farm, which covers a steep mountain that is almost entirely carpeted with coffee bushes.
Coffee pickers have become harder to hire amid the coronavirus pandemic. Low prices for beans mean there is not much money to lure more workers by offering higher wages.
"If we cannot get more workers we could lose some of our crop," says Ángel García, the farm's manager. "The beans will fall and rot on the ground," he explained, as a crew of about 50 workers made their way up a slope covered in 6ft-tall (1.8m) bushes.
But production could fall this year at the massive farm, which covers a steep mountain that is almost entirely carpeted with coffee bushes.
Coffee pickers have become harder to hire amid the coronavirus pandemic. Low prices for beans mean there is not much money to lure more workers by offering higher wages.
"If we cannot get more workers we could lose some of our crop," says Ángel García, the farm's manager. "The beans will fall and rot on the ground," he explained, as a crew of about 50 workers made their way up a slope covered in 6ft-tall (1.8m) bushes.
Java "The economic impacts keep coming" phile


Comment