About This Coffee
Originally founded by producer Alfred Nkubiri in 2004, RWACOF (Sucafina in Rwanda) began operating Muhura washing station in 2022. Today, RWACOF works in concert with local farmers to process cherry with an eye towards producing high-quality coffees. Together, they produce coffees that are as remarkable as the landscape they come from. Additionally, locals are able to come to the station and access safe, clean water for household use.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Farmers selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and deliver it to the station. At Muhura, workers float cherry to remove any underripes and then pulp it on a Pinhalese pulper. Coffee is run through grading channels where it is separated into different grades by density. Coffee ferments in tanks for 24 hours before being washed again in clean water and laid on the pre-drying tables. At the pre-drying tables, workers visually hand sort parchment and remove any defective beans, which are most apparent when wet. Then, parchment is laid to sun dry on raised beds. Parchment is turned frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 14 to 21 days for parchment to dry.
Coffee in Rwanda
Despite its turbulent history, today Rwanda is one of the specialty coffee world’s darlings – for good reason! Our sister company in Rwanda does an amazing job of bringing the best that Rwanda has to offer to roasters around the world.
German missionaries and settlers brought coffee to Rwanda in the early 1900s. Largescale coffee production was established during the 1930 & 1940s by the Belgian colonial government. Coffee production continued after the Belgian colonists left. By 1970, coffee had become the single largest export in Rwanda and accounted for 70% of total export revenue. Coffee was considered so valuable that, beginning in 1973, it was illegal to tear coffee trees out of the ground.
Between 1989 and 1993, the breakdown of the International Coffee Agreement (ICA) caused the global price to plummet. The Rwandan government and economy took a hard hit from low global coffee prices. The 1994 genocide and its aftermath led to a complete collapse of coffee exports and vital USD revenue, but the incredible resilience of the Rwandan people is evident in the way the economy and stability have recovered since then.
Modern Rwanda is considered one of the most stable countries in the region. Since 2003, its economy has grown by 7-8% per year and coffee production has played a key role in this economic growth. Coffee has also played a role in Rwanda's significant advancements towards gender equality. New initiatives that cater to women and focus on helping them equip themselves with the tools and knowledge for farming have been changing the way women view themselves and interact with the world around them.
Today, smallholders propel the industry in Rwanda forward. The country doesn’t have any large estates. Most coffee is grown by the 400,000+ smallholders, who own less than a quarter of a hectare. The majority of Rwanda’s coffee production is Arabica. Bourbon variety plants comprise 95% of all coffee trees cultivated in Rwanda.