While much of the coffee industry is currently focused on fresh arrivals from East Africa and Central America, now is also the ideal time to start planning for origins that will arrive later in the year. Harvests are underway across South America, Africa, and Asia, and the next few months will be important for securing the coffees, volumes, and profiles you need. Whether you're looking for standout microlots, unique processing methods, or reliable specialty volumes, early planning helps ensure smoother selections, better availability, and more flexibility when it comes to shipment timing.
Peru: The Harvest Has Started
Peru's harvest is slightly delayed this year and is expected to produce 15–25% less volume than last season. This isn't due to weather or agronomic issues, but rather the natural production cycle of the coffee trees. Early signs from lower elevations suggest a lighter crop overall, with cherry ripening appearing more uniform than usual, which may result in fewer picking rounds and lower total volume.
However, in Amazonas specifically, there are farms suffering from a Roja breakout, meaning lower production overall, with some farms estimated to produce 40% lower than last year.
The internal market remains relatively high due to ongoing supply and demand dynamics. Despite the lower C-market price, pricing is expected to remain at levels similar to last year.
SPOT Coffees
For our Nordic Approach SPOT coffees (available on our offer list and stocked in our EU warehouse), planning has started and we are currently in the pre-contracting phase. Larger community and regional lots, such as staples like La Higuera and Estrella Divina, will begin contracting in June as these coffees typically require additional planning and third-party financing. Microlots and naturals will follow later in the season, with Rory (our Green Buyer) travelling to origin in September to cup and finalise our selections there.
As always, we will continue focusing on product differentiation, with a strong selection of higher-scoring microlots and distinctive processing styles.
Shipments are expected to depart origin between September and November, with pre-shipment samples becoming available from around September onwards.
It's also worth noting that the harvest in Southern Peru typically continues through December. As a result, coffees from these regions tend to arrive later than those from the north. This is simply a reflection of the harvest calendar and does not indicate delayed shipping or older crop coffee.
Direct Shipments from Origin
If you're purchasing larger volumes through direct shipments to your port of destination, now is the time to start planning. Sample availability is expected from July onwards, with larger lots becoming available first, followed by microlots throughout August and September.
Most shipments are expected to take place between October and November. For direct shipments, it's important to finalize your purchasing plans early and ensure coffees are shipped before the end of the year to maximise freshness and secure access to the lots that best fit your needs.
For more information, or to discuss your volume requirements, preferred profiles, and shipment timelines, get in touch with Rory Rosenberg, our Green Buyer & Sales Representative.
More on Direct shipments from Peru.
Indonesia: The Funky Stuff is Coming!
Indonesia's harvest is currently reaching its peak. Earlier expectations pointed toward a short and concentrated harvest, but cooler weather has slowed cherry maturation in some areas, extending the season into August.
The Indonesian market continues to feel the effects of weather-related disruptions in Sumatra, the country's largest coffee-producing region. Lower production there has tightened supply across the wider market, influencing availability and creating upward pressure on prices throughout Indonesia.
For Nordic Approach, this doesn't change our commitment to sourcing the distinctive coffees we're known for, but it does mean we expect somewhat higher prices and slightly lower volumes this season. We are currently contracting our first shipments, with the earliest coffees expected to leave origin in July.
As always, the lineup will offer plenty of diversity, from classic washed and natural coffees to extended fermentations, anaerobic naturals, honeys, and several single-variety selections from Frinsa. In other words, all the funky coffees you know and love are on the way.
Colombia: Updates from Nariño, Huila, and Antioquia
In Nariño and Northern Huila, harvest has started with the fly crop. Picking began in May and is expected to continue through July, with a relatively normal seasonal timeline overall.
In Southern Huila, the harvest is delayed by around one month compared to the northern side. Processing is now expected between June and August. The delay is mainly linked to climate and weather instability, with an uneven flowering cycle nine months ago leading to inconsistent fruit development across farms.
Antioquia is also slightly delayed. Where arrivals were originally expected in May–June, the new expectation is now August through September.
From a market perspective, internal pricing in Colombia is being shaped by a combination of the C-market, USD/COP exchange rate, and production volume.
While overall production is only slightly lower this year (around 13 million bags compared to 14 million last year), weaker market conditions and currency movements mean producers are currently receiving fewer Colombian pesos for every dollar earned.
At the same time, there is a general shortage of coffee available in the commercial market, which is also influencing availability and pricing in specialty. With commercial coffee offering similar returns in many cases, some producers and cooperatives have less incentive to invest in the additional costs and effort required to produce specialty lots.
That said, high-quality coffees remain available, particularly through our long-standing producer relationships. These partners continue to take a long-term approach to quality and market development, and we remain confident in their commitment to producing the coffees our customers are looking for.
SPOT coffees
For our spot coffees, we're already purchasing coffees from Nariño, with a focus on naturals, honeys (like Aponte Collective), and microlots.
We are expecting to start cupping offer samples from Huila are within the next month or so, which will open up additional buying activity there. This season's lineup will include returning favourites such as the Santa Maria Collective, alongside microlots from producers we've worked with year after year.
A key development this year is our decaf offering, with a strong focus on Pink Bourbon decaf developed together with Cuatro Vientos. This project is positioned as a more intentional, curated approach to decaf production compared to previous years. Lots are now chosen specifically for decaffeination, with more control over selection, consistency, and final cup profile. Decaffeination takes place in Colombia at Descafecol.
Pre-shipment samples for SPOT coffees are expected between July and August, with shipments targeted to begin in the same window.
Direct Shipments from Origin
On the direct shipment side, planning is now fully in motion. As a roaster, your goal should be to complete planning and buying by August.
Nariño is currently the only origin with active samples available. Huila samples are still pending due to delayed harvest timing, but are expected to come in the next few weeks.
Our approach to Direct Shipments from Colombia this year is being simplified significantly. Instead of large, complex offer lists, the focus is on a smaller, more curated selection to make navigation easier and more transparent. Expect around six core products this year, with a focus on classic washed and natural coffees (both collectives & microlots).
More on Direct Shipments from Colombia.
Rwanda: Incoming Gitesi and Mahembe
Our Green Buyer Josh Coleman recently returned from Rwanda, where he spent time with long-term partners at Mahembe and Gitesi. He also explored some new opportunities in the other parts of the country.
Harvest is slowly coming to a close, although volumes are expected to be lower than last year. Changes to rain patterns have created some challenges to ripening (at the end of the harvest) and drying, with many producers approaching naturals more cautiously this season.
The good news is that our contracts are already in place with our key suppliers, allowing us to focus on quality and differentiation. This season we're working on several exciting projects, including peaberry selections, hilltop separations, new processing methods, and variety-focused lots.
The first shipments are expected to depart from June onwards, so pre-shipment samples will be available very soon. Reach out to your sales reps to start cupping and planning your required volumes!
Tanzania: Building More Control and Differentiation
This is the second year Tanzania has returned to our offerlist after a long time.
The Tanzanian harvest has now officially opened, with washing stations already starting to receive cherries. Early pickings are coming in from lower elevations, and we expect the main peak of the harvest to be highly concentrated towards the end of July and the beginning of August.
Josh will be travelling to the southern regions in July to follow up on the harvest, cup, and connect with our suppliers.
This year, a key focus will be parchment separation. While we believe that the coffees we’re cupping are very solid considering the current stage of their product development, there is a clear potential for stronger cup quality, more fruit-forward profiles, and improving control and consistency the lineup.
We’ll continue working with the same established names on the offer list, but with more intention around how we select and separate lots. At the same time, we’ll also start building some of our own community lots, using a SC 15+ screen size separation, rather than the traditional grade system of AA/AB grading. This should help us use the parchment more efficiently and put together better-structured lots.
On the processing side, naturals and anaerobics are gaining momentum. Ibero and City Coffee (our partner on the ground, led by Christophe Brinker) has invested heavily in new milling and drying infrastructure built specifically for natural microlot production, and we’re increasingly positioned as an anchor buyer for specialty naturals coming out of these systems.
Pre-shipment samples are expected to be available in August, with our first shipments departing in October.
Brazil: Early Indications of a Strong Harvest
Brazil's harvest is off to a promising start, with about 10% complete. After several challenging years, current conditions suggest significantly higher volumes this year.
SPOT Coffees
Our spot coffees are currently in the process of being contracted. This year we’re keeping a fairly classic lineup for our Spot offerlist, returning to some established staple names like Das Almas, as well as some delicious extended-fermentations.
Our Sales Rep, James, will be travelling to Minas Gerais in August, followed by Morten (our Co-CEO & Founder) in October.
You can expect to cup the first pre-shipment samples around August and September, as the first Nordic Approach shipments begin to depart in that same period.
Direct Shipments from Origin
If you’re buying larger volumes shipped directly to your port of destination, now is the time to lock in your lineup and cup offer samples. Pricing this year is very fair. Even though differentials are higher, yields are driving the market toward a more balanced, fair-value level.
Your shipments are expected to start departing from August onwards. Please reach out to Josh Coleman, our Green Buyer and Sales Rep, to secure your volumes if you haven’t already!
More on Direct Shipments from Brazil.
To Recap: Start Planning Early
Across all six origins, one thing remains consistent: the earlier you begin planning, the more options you'll have when it comes to quality, volume, processing styles, and shipment timing.
If you're looking ahead to the second half of the year, now is a great time to reach out to your sales representative and discuss your needs. Whether you're buying Spot or doing Direct Shipments, our team can help you build a purchasing plan that aligns with your roasting schedule and product lineup.
