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    D.R. Congo Kisunga Fully Washed

    Raspberry, vanilla, milk chocolate, black tea
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    Bag Weight 60 KG BAG
    Harvest Season 2023/24
    Status Spot
    Lot Number P8002435-3
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    About This Coffee

    Kisunga Coffee Washing Station (CWS) is one of 9 washing stations belonging to Virunga Coffee Company, setup by Schluter (now Covoya) in 2012 to produce high quality coffees for the specialty market and increase premiums for the thousands of smallholder farmers in the region. The strategy for Virunga has been three-fold: 1) To increase production through good agronomic practice 2) to improve quality through education and strict guidelines for production and processing 3) to obtain internationally recognised certification in order to generate better revenue for farmers.

    Virunga now have now trained over 11,000 famers in GAP (Good agricultural practices) and have partnered them in organic certification. They have 35 field officers (trained agronomists) working in the region and distribute over 3 million seedlings a year to farmers in Eastern DRC.

    Origin Democratic Republic of Congo
    Subregion North Kivu
    Harvest Season 2023/24
    Producer Type Washing Station
    Wet Mill Kisunga
    Processing Washed
    Growing Altitude 1500m - 1800m
    Plant Species Arabica
    Variety Bourbon
    Coffee Grade DRC CA WA KIVU G3
    Screen Size 15 Up
    Bag Weight 60 KG BAG
    Bag Types Grain Pro / Ecotact

    The Region

    Founded in 2021, Kisunga was the latest washing station established by Virunga Coffee Company in Eastern D.R. Congo.

    Kisunga village is located in the Isale region of Nord-Kivu (North of Lake Kivu), on the edge of Virunga National Park, bordered by Uganda to the east. The region has excellent conditions for speciality arabica production with plentiful rainfall, high altitude and highly fertile volcanic soils. The region is also very pov- erty-stricken and has had a severe lack of infrastructure which has made high quality arabica both di - cult to produce and very challenging to export. Virunga Co ee Company has sought to overcome many of these problems through hands- on farmer education and investment in local infrastructure such as roads and bridges. This has allowed quality improvements every season and, in turn, higher premiums for farmers.

    The Process

    Ripe cherries are delivered to the wetmill for careful sorting and pulping, before fermentation for 18 - 24 hours, depending on the climatic conditions. Once the mucilage has been broken down sufficiently the parchment coffee is thoroughly washed in clean water channels and graded by bean density before being dried in the sun on raised African beds for 12 - 18 days, again depending on conditions, until the ideal moisture level has been reached. In the daytimen the parchment needs to be raked and turned periodically to ensure a consistent drying process and prevent mold or overfermentation. The coffee is also covered in the middle of the day to protect it from the hot sun, and at night time to protect it from rainall and moisture. Once the coffee has dried to the right level it is transported to Butembo for dry-milling, grading, sorting and handpicking (triage), before being bagged in GrainPro for export.

    • Subregion North Kivu
    • Producer Type Washing Station
    • Wet Mill Kisunga
    • Processing Washed
    • Bag Types Grain Pro / Ecotact
    • Plant Species Arabica
    • Variety Bourbon
    • Min Growing Altitude 1500m
    • Max Growing Altitude 1800m
    • Screen Size 15 Up
    • On Sale No
    • Top Lot No
    • Price Per Kg £7.50
    • Status Spot
    • Coffee Grade DRC CA WA KIVU G3
    • CTRM Contract Number P8002435-3
    • Origin Democratic Republic of Congo
    • Warehouse Vollers Group Uk