Moka Honey

Jiwaka Coffee Limited (JCL) buys cherry for 904 farmers in Jiwaka and Eastern Highlands Province. Most farmers are second and third-generation farmers cultivating coffee gardens passed down to them by their parents and grandparents

JCL began using specialty processing in 2018 when they started using a color sorter right in the villages. They have cars that circulate around the province and make it easier for farmers to selectively handpick ripe, red cherry each day, rather than strip pick and walk several kilometers to sell their cherry. The furthest farmers that contribute to JCL’s station are 50 kilometers away.

Shade drying was promoted and taught in the 1970s and 1980s and remains prevalent today. Most farms are organic-by-default and do not use pesticides or fertilizers. JCL plans to provide trainings on good agricultural practices and other scientifically-backed methods for coffee maintenance after the coffee season is completed in the fall.

Pulp and mucilage from processing is distributed to coffee farmers to use as fertilizer and parchment is used as ‘biochar’ to fertilize the soil. As JCL explains, climate change is affecting the weather and the amount of rainfall, which is in turn affecting the pH of the soil. Biochar helps improve water management for coffee plants and adjust the pH balance of the soil to retain nutrients for coffee trees.

Purchase cherry from farmers in Jiwaka and Western Highlands Province. JCL buys only ripe, red cherry and processes it at their washing station. In order to minimize their environmental impact, JCL uses only Natural and Honey processing to drastically reduce water usage. These coffees are Honey process. Once the cherry is purchased and sorted, cherry is pulped and the parchment and remaining mucilage is laid on patios to dry. Workers rake drying parchment frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 2 weeks for parchment to dry.