What does post-harvest mean in coffee production?

Post-harvest refers to everything that happens after coffee cherries are picked from the trees - the full processing, drying, milling, sorting, grading, and storage chain that transforms fresh cherry into exportable green coffee.

Key stages: pulping (removing the cherry skin), fermentation and washing (in washed processing), drying (reducing moisture to 10–12%), resting (stabilising the dried parchment), dry milling (hulling, sorting, grading), and packaging for export.

Post-harvest management is one of the most influential factors in final cup quality. Poor decisions or inadequate facilities at any stage - excessive fermentation, uneven drying, rough hulling, inadequate sorting - can degrade the potential of even excellent-quality cherry. For buyers, understanding post-harvest processes at origin helps explain why coffees from the same farm can vary significantly year to year, and why producer investment in processing infrastructure is directly visible in the cup.