Burundi – Butegana

Region: Kayanza

Farm: Various smallholders but the majority from Akarusho Coffee farmers Coop

Altitude: 1650 MASL

Varietal: Bourbon

Process: Fully Washed and dried on raised beds

Notes: Cantaloupe, maple, clove, candied orange

100% Arabica

Butegana supports coffee farmers in nurseries’ installation, training in agronomic good practices, how to increase coffee productivity and by connecting farmers to the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN). The washing station facilities are mainly used for cherry collection, pulping, fermentation, washing (removing sugars), skin drying, final drying and storage before transport to the dry mill. All these activities are monitored using a system that emphasizes traceability and lot separation, under UTZ certification standards.

Of the 2310 coffee farmers delivering cherries to Butegana, 1618 are members of the Akarusho Coffee Farmers Group. This coop is formed into 70 separate training blocks with an average of 25 farmers per group. These groups provide members with agronomic advice to increase yields and maintain healthy coffee trees. The Akarusho Coffee Group was launched in June of 2012 and has been UTZ certified since the 2013 season.

Kayanza is well-known and highly regarded for producing some of the best coffees in the country. High elevations, rich volcanic soils and experienced and disciplined farmers are some of the things that set Kayanza apart from neighboring coffee growing areas within Burundi.

Webcor (the owner of the washing station) has set itself apart from the competition by developing a professional agronomic team, comprised of three engineers who oversee the three regions Webcor currently operate in. This team is responsible for overseeing agronomic best practice, education of and collaborating with cherry producers both pre-harvest and harvest, with an emphasis on ensuring producers have the necessary tools and knowledge to oversee and determine agronomic practices best suited to producers’ own plantations.

The climate in Burundi is predominantly equatorial, but the many hilly and mountainous regions, where coffee is grown, enjoy a moderate climate. Average temperatures vary from 17 to 23C and there are distinct wet and dry seasons: the dry seasons run from June to August and again from December to January; the wet seasons are February to May and September to November. These factors, combined with the country’s agroecology, combine for an ideal environment for coffee growing. Under these conditions, cherries can undergo ideal development due to stable and the relatively low temperatures on the plains. In addition, the distinct seasons allow for a proper blossoming of the plants and good drying conditions for the coffee beans (seeds). The main flowering period runs from October until November and there are two harvesting periods: the main harvest runs from February to March; the secondary harvest from April until May.