Description

The Coffee

The ripe cherries are sent to the station for careful sorting by flotation. Once the highest quality cherries are selected, they are pulped to remove the skin and most of the fruit. The coffee is then placed directly on African beds, retaining some of its sugary mucilage. This parchment coffee is then sun-dried for an average of 14 days, until it reaches the optimum moisture content. At this point, the coffee is left to rest in a cool, dry environment for 1 to 2 months, before being threshed, selected, and sorted by bean size.

History of Coffee in DR Congo

Although commercial production of green coffee did not begin in Congo in any significant way until the late 19th century, Robusta is known to have grown wild throughout the region for so long that 100 years ago Robusta was sometimes called “Congo coffee,” regardless of where it was grown. In 1895, a well-known botanist, Professor Lament, toured the country and declared it so suitable for coffee cultivation that it could become a “second Brazil,” and Arabica plantations increased dramatically. By 1905, half a million coffee plants were being cultivated and exports reached 41 tons.

The Farm

The village of Kahondo is located in the Isale region of Nord-Kivu (north of Lake Kivu), on the edge of Virunga National Park, bordering Uganda to the east. The region has excellent conditions for the production of specialty Arabica with abundant rainfall, high altitude, and very fertile volcanic soils.

Kahondo Coffee Washing Station (CWS) is one of seven washing stations owned by Virunga Coffee Company to produce high-quality coffees for the specialty market and increase premiums for thousands of small farmers in the region. Increasing production through good agronomic practices, improving quality through education, and obtaining internationally recognized certification to generate better incomes for farmers.