Burundi - Kigina Hill

Notes:  Red apple, honey, cherry, chocolate cake.

Area& washing station: Kigina Hill- Lot 10 & Migoti washing mill

VARIETAL: Red Bourbon

PROCESSING: Natural

ALTITUDE: 1700-1900 masl
REGION: Bujumbura

Drying Time: 28 Days on drying beds.

Context
Migoti Coffee is a Burundian coffee producer based in the Mutambu Commune of Bujumbura Province, Burundi. Founded in 2015 by engineers Pontien Ntunzwenimana and Dan Brose, Migoti Coffee aims to improve the livelihoods of local coffee farmers by connecting them with international buyers and roasters through quality processing and transparent supply chains. The company operates two coffee washing stations nestled in the mountains of the Bujumbura Rural Province and works with a growing number of smallholder farmers to produce high-quality coffee.

Operations and Impact

Migoti Coffee operates two washing stations, including the primary Migoti Mountain station and a secondary facility at Kinama, inaugurated in 2023. These stations process coffee cherries brought in by over 1,200 smallholder farmers from the surrounding highlands. The washing stations employ a combination of ten permanent staff and over 250 seasonal workers, primarily women, who manage the sorting, drying, and quality control processes. Migoti Coffee has steadily increased its output and quality, consistently receiving high cupping scores that place it among the top specialty coffees from Burundi.

The company prioritizes sustainable practices, educating farmers on techniques to enhance crop quality and yield. These include pruning, intercropping, and soil management. Migoti also provides coffee seedlings to local farmers, distributing approximately 30,000 per year since 2019. This initiative has increased both the quantity of coffee produced and the income for participating farmers, which has grown from 310 farmers in 2019 to 1,236 in 2023.

Environmental and Agricultural Practices

Migoti Coffee is dedicated to sustainable farming practices that address the biennial yield cycle of coffee in Burundi, a pattern where yearly yields alternate between high and low. The company promotes reforestation with shade trees, soil stabilisation, and mulching to enhance soil health and mitigate the effects of erratic rainfall and climate variability.

Although climate change has not yet had a significant impact on coffee production at Migoti's high-altitude farms, the company is actively monitoring potential future threats. Research in the region suggests a likelihood of longer dry seasons, landslides, and shifting rainfall patterns, which Migoti aims to adapt to with resilient farming practices.