The Arabica Red Bourbon variety is hand-picked from April to September, reflecting the longer ripening period in Rwanda’s highland regions. The cherries are sourced from 702 cooperative members spread across the region. Farmers living close to the washing station deliver their cherries by bicycle or carry them on their heads, while those farther away use cooperative-managed collection points where cherries are gathered and transported by truck.
Upon arrival, the cherries are weighed, floated to remove defective cherries, and pulped using a McKinnon machine. The pulped coffee then undergoes fermentation in the five tanks for 18 to 23 hours, adjusted to the cooler temperatures of the highlands. After fermentation, the coffee is thoroughly washed and graded by density to ensure quality.
Next, the coffee is placed on shaded primary drying tables for defect sorting before being transferred to drying beds, where it dries over 20 to 30 days until reaching the ideal moisture content. After drying, the coffee is stored and hand-sorted once more for quality assurance. Final milling is carried out at the Dukunde Kawa Cooperative Mill, completing the process and preparing the coffee for export.
A Fairtrade certification (FLO ID) is required to place an order for this Fairtrade-certified product.
