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Introduced by the Belgians in the early 1930s, arabica coffee has been growing in the country ever since. Coffee cultivation is mainly comprised of small holder based activity with over 800.000 families directly involved in coffee farming with a total acreage of 60.000 hectares in the whole country with about 25 millions of coffee tree. Mixed farming ( coffee trees are intercropped with subsitence crops such as bananas, beans, etc) throughout the country. Generally, flowering takes place in September which is usually considered as the the start of rainy season following summer.
Initiated in 2007, USAID Burundi's Agribusiness Project (BAP) was initiated in October 2007 and is implemented by Development Alternatives, Inc. The project's initial focus has been on the coffee value chain and support for privatization of the coffee sector, including refinement of Burundian specialty coffee. Four coffee washing stations -- Bwayi, Ngogomo, Teka and Murambi -- were initially selected to pilot high quality coffee production and farmer-buyer direct business relations (eight more stations including the Kirimiro SOGESTAL which includes Butemba have since been added).
In 2008, the first-ever quality premium for specialty coffee was paid to
Burundian coffee farmers. These payments resulted from changes made
to coffee marketing legislation supported by USAID, the World Bank and
the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The legislation allows for
direct sales contracts between Burundian producers and international
coffee buyers, roasters or importers and permits the payment of a
quality premium to those responsible for producing specialty coffee
(including producers, washing station management teams and dry millers) We were able to source this coffee through Cafe Imports, a Coffee Importer well known in the specialty coffee industry for their integrity and commitment to quality.
Features:
Altitude: 2,000 to 2,600 meters
Processing Method: Fully Washed (minimal fermentation)
Region: Kirimiro SOGESTAL
Harvest: February-July
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