BURUNDI ​NGOGOMO HONEY

General Information

Origin: Burundi
Region: Muyinga
Commune: Gasorwe
Washing Station: Ngogomo
Cultivars: 100% Red Bourbon
Altitude: 1689 masl
Process: Honey
Harvest: April - June 2019
Grade: HO15+
Warehouse: Barcelona, Budapest & Santiago
Packaging: 60 Kg w/ GrainPro
Score: 86+
Notes: Vanilla, cacao, orange, caramel
Ikawa profile: http://bit.ly/36YVNnB
Preparation: Both, Espresso and filter

TRACEABILITY

After its construction in 1992 in Muyinga province, Ngogomo still continues to operate at a high level. Working with more than 1,800 farmers, Ngogomo is located at 1689 masl and is one of the main coffee washing stations in the Muyinga region.

The history of coffee production in the hills surrounding Ngogomo dates back to a fisherman. The man caught a fish in a lake near where the station is currently located. However, this fish mysteriously disappeared. As the fisherman could not find a logical answer, he decided to change his work and dedicate his time to the cultivation of coffee. This history of coffee recovery and the good quality of cherries, motivated more people living in the surrounding area to start growing coffee.

The influence of climate, soil and altitude allows coffee here to show some unique and structured characteristics compared to traditional growing regions such as Kayanza and Ngozi. In fact, Ngogomo CWS obtained the 13th place in the latest version of the Cup of Excellence in Burundi with a washed lot that scored 87.78.-

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​

NGOGOMO CWS LOCATION

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