Buziraguhindwa Coffee Washing Station was established in 2010 and serves 3,000 smallholder producers in the area around Muruta commune in Buyenzi, Kayanza. Producers deliver their freshly harvested coffee in its cherry form to the washing station, where it is processed using a method that the washing station calls "double fermentation," and which will vary based on the weather as well as the available space. Depulped coffee is first fermented dry for 12 hours, then it is fermented for 6 or 18 hours underwater before being fully washed. The coffee is then soaked for 12 or 10 hours before being dried. For drying the coffee is first placed on tables under shade for 1–3 days, then on tables under full sun for 12–14 days.

Farmers here own less than half a hectare of land, on average, and in addition to growing coffee, they also grow crops like bananas, beans, yams, taro, and cassava, both for sale and for household use.

Due to the small size and yield on the average coffee farm or plot, washing stations are the primary point of purchase for us in Burundi. Unlike other coffee-growing regions in Central and South America where landholdings are slightly larger and coffee-centric resources are more available, most producers do not have space on their property or the financial means to do their wet- or dry-milling. Instead, the majority of growers deliver cherry to a facility that does sorting, blending, and post-harvest processing of day lots to create different offerings.

Since 2006, we have cupped coffees from more than 50 washing stations in an attempt to pinpoint those with the best practices, cleanest cups, and most high-quality nearby farms. While the logistics of buying coffees from Burundi are extremely challenging, we love the heavy figgy, fruity, and lively coffees we find here—they remind us like a Malbec, with a firm support of acidity.

For more information about coffee production in Burundi, visit our Burundi page.