Hugo Luis Rojas

In the municipality of Inza, located in the central Cordillera of Colombia, Hugo Rojas resides with his wife, Elizabeth Oidor, at their farm El Carmen. Hugo has been involved in coffee production since the age of 19 when he began cherry picking on various farms in Huila. Later, he and his brother took over their father farm to enhance its coffee production. With time, Hugo managed to save enough money to acquire his own farm and establish his own coffee production. For him, choosing coffee as a lifelong pursuit was a clear and natural decision. Throughout his life, he has gained valuable knowledge on producing highquality coffee, becoming more organized and achieving better yields. In 2011, after submitting a coffee entry to the Cup of Excellence competition and receiving an award, Hugo was motivated to focus on specially coffee. Since then, the ability to obtain better prices for his coffee has allowed him to cover the expenses of his workers and agricultural inputs while remaining profitable. Additionally, he has experienced significant improvements in his family’s quality of life and has been able to provide education for his children.

On the farm, Hugo receives assistance from his wife, and during the pandemic, his children also helped. His wife supports him by preparing food for the workers, managing bookkeeping, and making payments. Whenever possible, Hugo involves his children in the coffee production process to help them learn about the trade. As for himself, Hugo takes care of tasks such as weeding, fertilizing, and repairs. In addition to his Caturra coffee trees, Hugo has planted some avocado and timber trees along the farm’s boundaries, with plantain trees interspersed among his coffee plants.

Hugo’s greatest challenge is to continuously improve the quality of his coffee and maintain that level of excelence. As a parting message, Hugo expresses his desire for you to visit him and witness firsthand how he lives, learn about his journey, growth, and how coffee has been instrumental in his progress.