BURUNDI ​MUGIRAMPEKE FW

General Information

Origin: Burundi
Region: Ngozi
Commune: Tangara
Washing Station: Mugirampeke
Cultivars: 100% Red Bourbon
Altitude: 1778 masl
Process: Fully washed with double fermentation and sundried on African beds
Harvest: April - June 2019
Grade: FW15+
Warehouse: Barcelona, Budapest & Santiago
Packaging: 60 Kg w/ GrainPro
Score: 86+
Notes: Honey, strawberry, grapefruit, floral
Ikawa profile: http://bit.ly/37086jl
Preparation: Perfect for filter.

TRACEABILITY

Mugirampeke is a washing station located in the commune of Tangara, Ngozi region, in northern Burundi. It is find at an altitude of 1778 masl, although many farmers grow their coffee much higher than this. There are approximately 1600 farmers who deliver their cherries at this washing station. They process natural and washed coffees, with a total capacity of 1200 MT per harvest season.

It should be noted that in the washed with double fermentation process, in Burundi both are wet. Unlike in Kenya and Rwanda, where the first one is dry and the second one is wet.

Mugirampeke obtained the 6th place in the last Cup of Excellence 2019, held in the town of Ngozi, with a washed lot that scored 89.22.-

HISTORY OF COFFEE IN BURUNDI

Coffee arrived in Burundi during the 1930s with the Belgian colonial government. The Belgian government, which oversaw and administered the twin territory of Rwanda-Urundi between 1922 and 1962, made coffee cultivation mandatory during this period. When the Belgian government withdrew, many coffee growers stopped caring for their trees because it was no longer mandatory. However, many also saw the economic advantages of continuing to grow coffee, and the industry became the center of Burundi's national economy.

The coffee industry in Burundi remained managed by the public sector until the beginning of the 21st century, when the local government privatized some elements of the coffee production chain, such as dry mills and washing stations. As a result of this relatively recent change in conjunction with the country's political instability, today, there are very few foreign companies involved in the coffee sector in Burundi.

Currently, the coffee industry in Burundi is driven by about 2 million small coffee farmers who produce more than 80% of the country's total coffee export. To put this number in perspective, consider that the total population of Burundi is only slightly less than 11 million people, so these small coffee farmers represent almost a fifth of the total population.

All coffee trees in Burundi are Arabica. Although it was tried to introduce Robusta with the establishment of a large plantation. "Fortunately," this plantation was destroyed during a civil war and riots at the end of the last century.​

CULTIVATION

Almost all coffee in Burundi are of Bourbon variety, which is strictly controlled by the government for quality reasons. Due to the increasingly small size of coffee farms, aged coffee trees are a very important problem in Burundi. Many coffee growers have coffee trees with more than 50 years, but with small land to cultivate, it is difficult to justify that they are completely out production during the 3-4 years that it will take new plantations to start producing.

Despite the ubiquity of coffee cultivation in Burundi, low productivity is a predominant tendency. The small producer on average has approximately 300 trees, usually in their backyards. Each tree produces 1.5 kilos of cherry, so the producer sells around 400-500 kilos of cherry per harvest, and this generates an annual salary of no more than USD 100 (See the video below for more information about it).​

BURUNDI COFFEE FARMERS SALARY​

MUGIRAMPEKE CWS LOCATION
CONTACT
green@coffeekilimanjaro.com
​ +34 675 608 692
WHERE WE ARE
Barcelona, Spain
Santiago, Chile
​Budapest, Hungary