Something unique and special about Businde CWS is that it is located in the hills where the Twa people come from. This is extremely rare as it is the least populated of the ethnic groups in Rwanda and Burundi after Hutu and Tutsis. The Twa community is one of the poorest when it comes to wealth inequality among ethnic groups.
Businde coffee washing station is located in the northern province of Kayanza, close to the Rwandan border. This station has a wide reach for local coffee farmers, processing the cherries for 650 local farming families.
As a washing station, it is important to consider the payment of workers who process the cherry as well as the price received by those who cultivated them.
Businde’s producers received a premium that was 20% above the local market rate this season. As a station, Businde pays its staff almost 60% above the rate for casual labor in Burundi. To assist with the dispersing of coffee pulp, Matraco distributes this compost as fertilizer to help the farmers nearby. Alongside this, they assist with the yields of local farmers by donating seedlings to their farms.
The station processes around 550 metric tonnes of cherry each year, dried across 126 raised drying beds. The station has 6 full-time staff and employs 120 seasonal staff at peak processing time. We are very proud to have visited and to work with this team. The station is a beautiful example of supporting the local community, securing higher profits, and benefiting the coffee producers and staff alike.
The washed coffees go through the usual strict quality control measures Matraco have in place across all their stations. This lot is fermented for 12 hours after pulping. It took 20 days to dry on the African drying beds.
