The Red Bourbon Arabica variety is harvested by hand from April to September, reflecting the prolonged ripening of the cherries in Rwanda's high-altitude regions. The cherries come from 702 members of the cooperative, spread throughout the region. Producers living near the wetmill deliver their cherries by bicycle or carry them on their heads, while those located further away use collection points managed by the cooperative, from where the cherries are then transported by truck.
Upon arrival at the station, the cherries are weighed, sorted by flotation to eliminate defects, and then depulped using a McKinnon machine. The depulped coffee is then fermented in five tanks for 18 to 23 hours, a duration adapted to the cooler temperatures of the highlands. After fermentation, the coffee is carefully washed, then graded by density to ensure optimal quality.
The coffee is then placed on shaded drying tables for an initial defect sorting before being transferred to drying beds. It dries there slowly for 20 to 30 days until reaching the ideal moisture content. Once dry, the coffee is stored and then hand sorted once more for a final quality control. Milling is performed at the Dukunde Kawa cooperative's dry mill, concluding the process and preparing the coffee for export.
