 | Kayanza |
 | 1,800 masl. |
 | Red Bourbon |
 | Washed |
 | Smallholders |
A clean and floral coffee from smallholders in Yandaro Burundi
It owes its name to the river that crosses the valley where it is located.
Both countries share very good conditions for growing coffee, especially in the corridor that connects southern Rwanda with northern Burundi.
Many of the favourite Rwandan and Burundian coffees for specialty coffee lovers come from this region.
A tropical forest is a very good ally for cultivation since it helps maintain underground water reserves and adequate nutritional levels of the soil in the surrounding region.
Set near the rainforest and a large river, the Yandaro station is in a unique location within this region.
Coffee in Burundi
Its high altitude, thousands of hills, volcanic soils and abundant rainfall offer the ideal conditions for the production of an exceptional and very exotic coffee.
In Burundi there are no large plantations. In fact, the coffee is grown on small family farms and the cherries are often taken to the nearest coffee washing station.
They are the responsible bodies behind most of the washing stations in Burundi.
The Sogestals support farmers and washing stations with financing, transport, fertilization and the international marketing of coffee.
The Kayanza region, where this coffee comes from, is in the north of the country, near the border with Rwanda. The Kayanza region is mainly known for being the source of the Nile River’s water.
The Yandaro washing station
The average altitude of the area is 1,800 meters above sea level. The region has a mild climate with average temperatures between 18 and 25° centigrade, depending on the altitude.
The Yandaro Smallholders
During the harvest season the coffee is picked by hand. Since most families have several hundred trees, the harvest is done almost entirely by the family.
Processing at the Yandaro station
All coffee cherries are processed, but the best and the worst quality are separated and processed separately.
After sorting, the cherry is pulped within 6 hours of delivery. The coffee beans are then fermented for 10 to 12 hours in the water of a nearby stream.
The washed coffee seeds are transported to the drying beds where they will be left for 2 to 3 weeks.
Each drying bed has a traceability label with information on each particular lot.
The seeds are moved regularly to ensure uniform drying and those with visible defects are removed.
