Roberto Figueroa Martínez owns Finca El Plan in El Cedral, Las Vegas, Santa Bárbara, at 1,550 metres above sea level. Early in his career, he grew vegetables for local markets, developing a strong work ethic but facing unpredictable prices. Seeking a more stable income, he bought land in El Cedral in 2012 and planted his first coffee trees the following year. Inspired by neighbouring farmers exploring speciality coffee, he reached out to Beneficio San Vicente in 2016 for guidance on processing a microlot. Since then, he has focused entirely on speciality coffee production.
His seven-hectare farm is set to produce around 150 quintales of coffee this season. He employs two full-time workers and hires 10 to 15 more during harvest. While Pacas is the primary variety in this microlot, he also grows Caturra, Bourbon, and Parainema. Around 80% of his coffee thrives under shade, benefiting from two annual applications of YARA-brand fertilisers, including Hydran, Nitrabor, and Complex. Each afternoon, workers harvest the cherries, pulp them, and dry-ferment the parchment for 15 hours. They then wash it four times to remove residue. The parchment dries for about 20 days on raised beds in a solar parabolic dryer, where workers hand-sort defective beans.
Roberto initially stores his dried coffee at home in plastic and polypropylene sacks before transporting it to San Vicente for further processing and export. He disposes of wastewater through the local drainage system and applies fungicides four times a year to manage leaf rust and other diseases. While he currently faces no major pest issues, he recalls a time when rust levels were much lower. Now, he prioritises plant nutrition to maintain crop health. In addition to coffee, he grows bananas, staying mindful of ongoing climate shifts and their challenges.
