Name: Mukama

Producer: Smallholder Farmers

Origin: Mukama sector, Nyagatare district

Varietal: Bourbon

Altitude: 1850-2200 metres above sea level

Process: Natural

Flavours: Grape, Watermelon & Dark chocolate

Harvest: March-July  

Importer: Covoya




Where is it from?

In Rwanda, coffee has brought hope for a better future since the dark days of the Civil War that shook the country back in 1994. Coffee has been used as a vehicle for positive change in the years that have followed, and the country is now rightly heralded as a top producer of fine speciality coffee.

Coffee was introduced to Rwanda in 1903 by German missionaries. As a cash crop, it received government backing but the focus was very much on quantity rather than quality. However, the impact of the world coffee crisis in the late 1990s, when prices fell for several years below the cost of production, caused many Rwandan coffee farmers to rethink their position. Working hand in hand with the Rwandan Coffee Board (OCIR Café), international NGOs such as USAID, the Gates Foundation, and other coffee-focused organisations, a speciality coffee sector was created in the early 2000s.

Rwanda is blessed with ideal coffee growing conditions that include high altitude, regular rainfall, volcanic soils with good organic structure and an abundance of Bourbon. 

The vast majority of Rwandan coffee is produced by smallholders of which there are thought to be around half a million with parcels of land often not much larger than just one hectare per family.

Coffee is grown in most parts of the country, with particularly large concentrations along Lake Kivu and in the southern province. Rwandan smallholders organise 

themselves into cooperatives and share the services of centralised wet mills 

or washing stations as they are known locally. Flowering takes place between 

September and October and the harvest runs from March to July, with shipments starting in August through December

About This Coffee

This FW15+ lot comes from Mukama washing station in Mukama sector, Nyagatare district ,in Rwanda's Eastern Province. The washing station is managed by Jean Nepo Mukotanyi and the 10 contributing farmers are members of Akagera Coffee Project Ltd. These farms are amongst the newest established in Rwanda with the oldest having been planted in only 2010. Education is a core value of the Akagera Coffee Project and 20% of their net income is invested directly into community education initiatives.

The Region

Mukama is one of fourteen sectors of Nyagatare District. It is the highest sector in the district and is bordered by two other districts: Gatsibo in Eastern province and Gicumbi in Northern Province. Coffee was first brought to Mukama by missionaries in 1950. Mukama and its people are known for their production of isorghum beer which is a popular drink for the community. 

The Process

This lot is fully washed, whereby ripe cherries are harvested by hand, then floated and hand sorted to select the highest quality for processing. These cherries are then mechanically de-pulped and fermented for 12-18 hours (typically overnight) to break down the remaining mucilage. After fermentation, the wet parchment is washed by high pressured water and grading is done throughout long channels to separate coffee by density. 

Next, the beans are dried on so-called raised African beds for around 25 days, depending on the climatic conditions. The parchment coffee is hand-picked and turned throughout to remove defects and ensure a consistent drying process, as well as covered at night or during rain to protect against moisture damage. A dedicated quality controller tests the relative humidity daily until an optimum content of 12% is reached, after which the coffee is rested in parchment pending secondary processing prior to export.

Roast

Brew

Filter & Espresso