PRODUCER: Smallholder farmers

PROCESS: Natural

REGION: Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda

VARIETAL: SL14, SL28

ALTITUDE: 1800-2000 MASL

About The Coffee 

The name is derived from the Bakonzo Tribe. A group of descendants living throughout the Rwenzori Mountains, covering both Uganda and Democratic
Republic of Congo. Individuals do not necessarily identify as citizens of either country, they will proudly announce their Bakonzo heritage.

This Bukonzo Dream comprises of cherries from the farmers in a small trading centre called Kituei, located outside of the Kasese district, to the west of the main city Kasese within the Rwenzoris and processed by Agri Evolve at the Nyabirongo washing station.

The 4 buying stations which contributed cherries towards these lots consists of over 500 smallholder farmers who cultivate coffee on small parcels of land ranging from 1 to 4 acres. Covering a wide area within the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, the community where this coffee originates from has altitudes ranging from 1700 to 1840 masl

The Region

Kasese is a multi-ethnic district with many people of different ethnic backgrounds. Kasese district is mainly agricultural with over 85 percent of the people being peasant farmers who depend on subsistence farming for their livelihood. It has two rainy seasons that come between March and May, and August and November. Temperatures normally range between 23 °C and 30 °C. 

The Process

The cherries are harvested and collected from the buying centres and then delivered to the Nyabirongo washing station during the main and fly harvests. Upon arrival at the washing station, the coffee cherries are first sorted and then floated to pick out the initial under-grades / underripes. After drying on the raised beds for 3-4 weeks, turned regularly and picked again by the seasonal workers, the fresh cherry slowly dries in the sun and turns into what is locally known as ‘kiboko’

From here, the coffee is then hulled, graded, and bagged. As a natural coffee, the Bukonzo dream has always varied depending on the region the cherries come from, and season to season each of the buying stations provide vibrant fruity natural lots, we love tasting the naturals from the different regions as the coffees always come with unique profiles.