Burundi Harvest is Looking Great

“We’ve observed an exceptional flowering in the field this season,” Ibrahim says. “We might be looking at 20,000 metric tons of green coffee this year.” It’s too early to speculate about the quality of this large crop, he explains, “But a bigger crop generally means more great coffees, because it enables us to cherry pick the cream of the crop.”

Burundi’s crop cycle is cyclical, and this large crop comes on the heels of an off season with a smaller-than-expected crop. Ibrahim and the team project this crop will be at least two times bigger than the 2023 crop. The harvest is anticipated to start in late March and continue through early July.

To help ensure bountiful future harvests, Sucafina in Burundi is working with farmers to help them rejuvenate old rootstock. Over 80% of trees in Burundi are older than 30 years and older trees yield less cherry. However, due to the small size of most coffee gardens – on average gardens are about 250 trees – it’s difficult for farmers to take trees out of production for the three years it takes new seedlings to start bearing fruit. To help farmers transition trees by planting new seedlings or stumping their current trees, Sucafina joined force with the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) on a 2 year pilot project and provided a stipend to  4,000 farmers for each of the 155,000 trees rejuvenated that helped offset the income loss. They also provided training on pruning, proper input application and transitioning to intercropping to increase food and cash crops on a small plot of land.

For farmers, a larger crop means better income. Sucafina in Burundi is looking to augment this larger income with its usual suite of training in good agricultural practices, delivering price premiums for quality, and helping farmers become IMPACT verified - Sucafina’s responsible sourcing program. “We’re working on expanding polygon mapping of farms in our IMPACT supply chain,” Ibrahim says. “This will enable to-the-farm traceability and allow us to monitor deforestation in our supply chain.” IMPACT coffees are available now from Burundi.

“There are some huge initiatives right now with a lot of funds being poured into the coffee sector this year,” Ibrahim explains. Following the success of the aforementioned pilot project, Sucafina in Burundi is spearheading a 12-year, multi-stakeholder project designed to strengthen Burundi’s coffee sector. “The project was kickstarted with an intensive, 4-day planning workshop in January. We’re hopeful that this project will lead to increased yields and increased farmer incomes.” From that workshop, the team worked with stakeholders to finalize the project’s goals and will soon start implementing projects through the established framework to benefit farmers.

We’re also working with ODECA, the government body that regulates the coffee sector in Burundi and owns washing stations. “In 2023, we helped certify 4,500 farmers at ODECA washing stations. And we’re aiming to grow that partnership 5-fold in the coming years.” Certifications help farmers access new markets and garner higher prices for their coffee.

Sucafina in Burundi is continuing the distribution of their livestock kits to farming communities working with our washing stations. In 2022, the Sucafina group contributed $10,000 on behalf of their clients towards buying 230 goats for this project. As the goats grow up and begin having kids, more members receive baby goats that help improve their livelihoods by producing fertile manure and providing milk to their family. This project is also part of our Farmgate Initiative, where roasters can contribute to projects directly in their supply chain. As of the end of 2023, roasters buying coffees through Farmgate Initiative have contributed more than $7,000. This money was used to purchase livestock kits for coffee farming communities in their supply chain. This year, Sucafina in Burundi is planning to purchase and distribute more livestock, funded by the Farmgate Initiative, in mid-March, shortly before the harvest, Ibrahim reports.

We’re eagerly awaiting the larger Burundi harvest this year. Ibrahim says we expect the harvest will start in late March and we’ll start seeing samples in August and lots shipping in October. Ready to start booking Burundi coffees? Get in touch with your trader today.