Rwanda – Mwasa

Mwasa is located in the Machuba Sector of Nyamasheke District. Established in 2006, Mwasa is a cooperative-owned station. The station lies at 1650masl, spanning over 3ha.

The nearest village is Gatare. Mwasa employs 2 permanent staff members, one a trained agronomist who was born in Gatare. During the harvest season the workforce increases to 30 of which 22 are women.

The station receives cherries from 16 cooperative members and an additional 450 outgrowers, all registered with the station and enrolled in the ATP. Farm sizes vary, from just 50 coffee trees, while larger farms boast up to 7,000 trees.

Farmers transport their coffee on foot, as there is no transport infrastructure other than a footpath. Mwasa operates three collection points to ensure even the farthest farmer can deliver daily, ensuring efficiency and quality in the coffee delivered.

All farmers associated with Mwasa are active participants in the ATP (Agronomist Training Program). Organic fertilisers, produced on-site using husks and mucilage, are distributed to outgrowers. The organic fertilisers are used as supplement to chemical fertilisers, a common practice amongst farmers in the country.

Water usage at Mwasa is conscientious, with clean water sourced from a spring located few hundred meters from the reception area at the station, eventually being reabsorbed by the ground, completing a natural and eco-friendly cycle.

One distinctive aspect of Mwasa is its emphasis on intercropping, encouraging outgrowers to plant beans and legumes amidst coffee trees, which aids in fixing nitrogen in the soil and provides a food crop for the community.

The station has 48 raised beds and 5 sorting tables under a covered structure, where the parchment undergo a meticulous sorting even before being laid out on the bed to dry.

Mwasa actively participates in a seed distribution program, receiving seeds from RTC and producing their own.