Coffee was first brought to Nicaragua by Catholic Missionaries in 1790 and initially it was grown as something of a curiosity. It was not until around 1840 that it gained economic significance in response to an increasing global demand for coffee. The first commercial plantations appeared around Managua.
The hundred-year period between 1840 and 1940 is often referred to as the ‘Coffee Boom’ years in Nicaragua, and during this time coffee had a dramatic effect on the economy. As coffee gained importance and value, so it required the input of more and more resources and labour. By 1870, coffee was Nicaragua’s principal export crop and the government strove to make it easier for foreign companies to invest in the industry and to acquire land. Previously public land was sold to private individuals, and the government encouraged the creation of large farms with the Subsidy Laws passed in 1879 and 1889, which paid planters $0.05 for every tree they planted over five thousand trees.
By the end of the 19th century, Nicaragua came to resemble something of a banana republic, with most of the profit from coffee either leaving the country or going to a small number of local landowners.
The first growers’ cooperative was formed in the early 20th century, and the idea of cooperatives was promoted again from time to time during the Somoza family dictatorship between 1936 and 1979.
However, the overthrow of the Somoza family by the Sandinistas, and the ushering in of communism in 1979 was the beginning of a difficult time for coffee industry. The Contras, rebel groups backed by the US and the CIA, formed to oppose the new government, targeted the coffee industry as part of their campaign, attacking vehicles transporting coffee farm workers, as well as sabotaging coffee mills.
Despite these setbacks, in 1992 coffee was still Nicaragua’s primary export. However, the crash in coffee prices between 1999 and 2003 massively damaged the coffee sector again. Three of the largest six banks in the country collapsed due to their level of exposure to coffee production. The effect of low prices was perhaps multiplied further after the devastation of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, and the drought at the turn of the millennium.
Things are now, however, looking up for Nicaraguan coffee and more farmers are focusing on quality. In the past, the traceability of coffee was poor, and most was sold as a mill brand or as being from a particular region. Now the levels of traceability are very high.
Coffee is one of Nicaragua’s most important exports and the trade has survived political upheaval and natural disasters.
TRACEABILITY
You should be able to find coffees traceable down to single estates, or to producer groups or cooperatives.
TASTE PROFILE
A range of flavours are found in Nicaraguan coffees. They are typically quite complex and capable of pleasing fruit-like flavours and clean acidity.
GROWING REGIONS
Population: 6,071,000
Number of 60kg (132lb) bags in 2013: 1,500,000
Nicaragua has a number of smaller growing regions, including Madriz, Managua, Boaca and Carazo, which are not listed below but that do produce some excellent coffees.
JINOTEGA
The name of the region, and its capital city, is derived from the Nahuatl word xinotencatl, but there is disagreement as to what this actually means. It is either ‘city of old men’ or ‘neighbours of the Jiñocuabos’, the latter probably being the accurate one. The region’s economy has long been dependent on coffee, and it is still the primary producing region in Nicaragua.
| Altitude: | 1,100–1,700m (3,600–5,600ft) |
| Harvest: | December–March |
| Varieties: | Caturra, Bourbon |
MATAGALPA
Another region named after its capital city, a city with a museum dedicated to coffee. Coffee from this region is produced by a mixture of estates and cooperatives.
| Altitude: | 1,000–1,400m (3,300–4,600ft) |
| Harvest: | December–February |
| Varieties: | Caturra, Bourbon |
NUEVA SEGOVIA
This region is on Nicaragua’s northern border, and in recent years it has begun to distinguish itself for producing some of the very best coffees in the country, with a great deal of success in the country’s Cup of Excellence competition.
| Altitude: | 1,100–1,650m (3,600–5,400ft) |
| Harvest: | December–March |
| Varieties: | Caturra, Bourbon |