Ruiz Coffees, Santos & Dias Launch Landmark $187M Venture for Massive Arabica Farm
November 20 - 2025
Coffee Geography Magazine
A landmark joint venture is poised to create the world’s largest individual Arabica coffee farm. Named Jacurutu Coffee, the ambitious project is a partnership between Ruiz Coffees, a major Arabica producer, and the Santos & Dias Group, a diversified industrial conglomerate. With a total investment of US$187 million, the venture will cultivate 5,500 hectares in João Pinheiro, a promising region in northwest Minas Gerais celebrated for its stable climate and minimal frost risk.
Strategically designed to capitalize on resilient global demand and high Arabica prices, Jacurutu Coffee represents a significant institutional investment in the sector. The project will convert former forestry land into a vast, fully irrigated coffee platform. Water security is a cornerstone of its design, with on-farm reservoirs spanning 240 hectares supporting advanced center pivot and drip irrigation systems to ensure consistent harvests despite variable weather cycles. This focus on reliability is crucial as Brazil’s coffee output becomes increasingly sensitive to water availability.
Beyond its scale, the venture commits to significant environmental stewardship, targeting full Rainforest Alliance certification from the outset. The project has pledged to preserve one hectare of native Cerrado vegetation for every hectare planted, a conservation ratio that surpasses legal requirements. According to Gustavo Wagner Ribeiro, CEO of strategic advisor Eldorado Terra, planting will commence in 2026 across an initial 600 hectares, with the first commercial harvest anticipated for 2029. Ruiz Coffees will manage daily operations, leveraging its expertise in cultivation and commercialization, while Santos & Dias oversees land and infrastructure.
Upon reaching full maturity within a decade, the farm is projected to yield a staggering 2.6 million bags of coffee annually, establishing itself as a major new supplier in Brazil’s premium Arabica segment. By leveraging João Pinheiro’s favorable microclimate and a fully mechanized approach on its flat terrain, Jacurutu Coffee aims to become a new global reference for industrial-scale, high-quality production, positioning itself to serve both domestic and international markets as a powerhouse of Brazilian coffee.