The Ngororero district in Rwanda has a coffee processing facility that is supplied with coffee beans by the surrounding farmers. By training the coffee farmers over many years, excellent coffees could be produced and an export market could be established. The fully washed & naturally processed coffee is harvested between April and July. The red coffee cherries are also called Red Bourbon because of their intense colour.
Torero is the main farming area in Ngororero and is located near Gakenke district. Due to the altitude and precipitation, some farmers in the area experience snowfall, which usually occurs around mid-February.
The quantity and quality of the cherries as well as the weather conditions determine the processing method.
In natural processing, the cherries are placed on the pre-drying tables and sorted according to quality. After two days of pre-drying, the cherries are taken to the drying beds where they are cleaned and monitored by teams of women. After 26-31 days, the cherries are sufficiently dried and are taken to the warehouse to rest. The coffee is then processed and sorted.
All coffees from Ngororero are sorted by hand in the CCR laboratory in Muhanga. 50 women from the local community were trained and educated for this.