Rwanda Kayumbu Station Natural Scr 15+ 2022

About the Coffee
Coffee was introduced to Rwanda in the early 1900s, and by 1970, the crop skyrocketed to account for 70% of the country’s total export revenue. However, the coffee trade suffered due to genocide and war. Fortunately, Rwanda has advanced in recent years with the help of enterprising smallholder farmers who are propelling the country forward with coffee.

The Kayumbu Washing Station was originally built by the Rwandan army to receive large volumes of cherry. Today, the station serves over 1,000 smallholders in the Kamonyi district who farm coffee at altitudes of 1,600-2,100masl.

To remain competitive and encourage farmers to bring their coffee to the station without the hassle of sorting, Kayumbu accepts nearly all the cherries delivered to them. That means Kayumbu takes on the responsibility of meticulously sorting through the cherries in multiple rounds of flotation and visual checks to uphold high-quality standards.

Coffee processing gets busy at Kayumbu throughout the season, which is why natural Rwandan coffee like this is only produced at the beginning or end of the harvest when the washing station is a little quieter with lower levels of production. That’s how producers at Kayumbu can ensure they’re devoting their full attention to processing the highest quality of naturals possible.