The quality of coffee is critical in the marketing of the beans locally and on the global arena. This fact is not lost on one of the major coffee producing areas in Rwanda, Nyamasheke District.

The district has been attracting investors to setup more coffee washing stations to help increase the quality and quantity of coffee production. The initiative also aims at job-creation as part of efforts to support realisation of the second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II) objectives.

Coffee production in Nyamasheke contributes at least Rwf3 billion of the farmers’ income per year, according to district officials. The officials said seven new washing coffee stations will be commissioned this year, increasing the number of stations from 50 to 57 stations across the district, Polyphile Harerimana, the district cash crops officer, said. He added that besides boosting quality, the growing number of stations will increase farmers’ revenue and support economic growth.

Besides, doubling the proportion of coffee exported as fully-washed, Rwanda could increase coffee exports by 10-20 per cent, according to a study done in 2015. Only 30 per cent of Rwanda’s coffee is characterised as fully-washed at export and, yet coffee washing stations operate at little more than 50 per cent capacity.

Nyamasheke District has been attracting more investors in coffee production since 2013 when one of coffee washing stations in the district scooped the best coffee producer during the fourth edition of Rwanda Cup of Excellence competition. The annual contest rewards the best local coffee and is the most esteemed international award given to farmers with quality coffee. “Before the introduction of washing stations, coffee had less value and one kilogramme would cost about one dollar. But since washing stations were created the cost of the crop increased up to four dollars,” Harerimana said.

Karambi, Macuba and Nyabitekeri sectors located near the shores of Lake Kivu are some of the areas in the district that are favourable for coffee growing. Rwanda mainly grows Arabica coffee given its mountainous nature.

Harerimana said the district targets to produce 16,000 tonnes of coffee this year. Last year, the production was more than 11,000 tonnes while in 2015, the district produced 14,000 tonnes. He said this year farmers have increased use of fertilisers to 821 tonnes, adding that trees are also sprayed to guard against pests and diseases.

A 2015 survey showed that the number of coffee trees in Nyamasheke has increased to 13 million, up from eight millions of trees in 2009.

During the 2015 edition of Cup of Excellence competition, eight coffee washing stations from Nyamasheke were among the top 20 finishers. Therefore, it is no surprise that more investors are putting their money in the district’s coffee sector. Harerimana said the district works closely with farmers to ensure quality along the value chain to guarantee better returns. Annonciata Mukandanga, a farmer, said the increasing number of washing stations will boost morale as farmers will be assured of ready market, adding that it will also ensure quality of the crop.

Andre Iyakaramye, another farmer, said the setting up of more washing stations in the district has helped increase farmers’ income and welfare, adding that he is now classified in the third category in Ubudehe classification, thanks to coffee farming.

Rwanda’s coffee exports grew by 10.9 per cent in volume over the first half of last year, with 5,956.9 tonnes shipped out compared to 5,141 tonnes of coffee that were exported over the same period in 2015, according to figures from the central bank.

source: http://www.newtimes.co.rw / The New Times, Rwanda / Home> Business / by Frederic Byumvuhore / January 24th, 2017

Despite the strong growth of coffee shops in the Philippines, the Filipino brand of coffee has yet to have a wider presence in the international market.

World Coffee Events, a group that is part of the Specialty Coffee Association of America and Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, said the world has yet to be fully aware of the Filipino coffee beans.

“In the United States I know there is an awareness of coffees in the Philippines, but it is not common to see beans from the Philippines in specialty cafés. But I know they are always looking for quality coffees everywhere, and I know there is interest in developing more of a sort of a specialty commodities market here,” World Coffee Events Creative Director Amy Ball said.

However, Ball said the Philippines is slowly gaining a name for itself in the world’s coffee industry through its representatives who have continued to rank high in the annual Word Barista Championships.

Ball commended the progress the Philippines is making in its bid to professionalize the country’s coffee shops.

“There is a difference now in food-and-beverage training, and they understand the specific skills of the job, and that is a really cool thing to standardize and professionalize, so that shows there is some traction and some progress,” Ball said.

Meanwhile, Philippine Asia Conferences and Exhibitions President May Juan said there is now a boom in coffee shops across the country, noting that the number of independent coffee players has exceeded those from popular franchises.

“According to research that we have seen, there are more independent cafés and coffee shops compared to franchises. But, of course, these franchises are still strong in marketing. This is also the case for restaurants. Not that we want to kill the franchises, but it is good to see that there are more independent players. This will show that our country is indeed progressing. You have to create a balance,” Juan said.

Juan, whose company will be handling the Philippine Restaurant, Café and Bar (Philresca) Expo in March, said there are now also more companies supplying equipment for café businesses.

Philresca will be the first trade event focusing on restaurants, cafés and bars. It will also host the Philippine National Barista Championship and Philippine National Latte Art Championship, where the winners will represent the Philippines at the world championship in South Korea in November next year.

Outside of coffee shops, Juan noted that full-service restaurants and fine-dining centers in the country are now revisiting Filipino cuisines.

“Mostly the food here is modernized, so the authenticity is a bit lost. If you go to Thailand or Vietnam, they have some sort of ownership of their food. Here in the Philippines, adobo alone has different versions,” Juan said. “So there is a debate. When you talk of adobo or sinigang, we have to know its history. Is it really a Filipino or a Spanish dish?”

Juan said they will be working with institutions like Culinary Generals & Razor Chef Philippines in a discussion of traditional Filipino food, and how there can be a single identity that can be presented to the international market.

source: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph / Business Mirror / Home> Envoys & Expats> Features / by Danielle Gabriel / December 24th, 2016

Coffee drinkers are growing up. So is their beverage of choice.

Baby boomers and seniors are the biggest coffee consumers in the United States, according to the National Coffee Association.

An increasing number of Vermont companies are hoping that baby boomers’ desire for locavore products will lead them to purchase coffee that is roasted close to home. They import their beans from a variety of sources and provide high-end coffee for those who have cultivated a taste for their caffeinated beverage of choice.

As is the case with craft beers and craft spirits, Vermonters are showing an affinity for locally roasted, small batch coffees. For some, the country of origin is the most important selling point. Others search for esoteric flavoring or the recognition that the coffee beans are Fair Trade or organic..

Mané Alves of Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea in Waterbury said while some people drink coffee only for the caffeine, many others are developing a more sophisticated palate for the beverage.

“The previous generations may not have cared that much,” he said, “but I think that has evolved. We’re not at the wine model yet, but we’re moving toward it. … In a restaurant, you’re likely to ask for a cabernet or pinot, rather than just a red wine. People are starting to order coffee based on the varietal or country of origin.”

Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea is among a growing number of Vermont companies dedicated to coffee roasting, some of which are doing very inventive things like infusing cold coffee with nitrogen or using coffee for meat rubs.

Alves, a native of Portugal, worked in the wine industry in California, but moved into the world of coffee when he followed his future wife to Vermont. Sensing a void in the field of coffee education, he said, he founded Coffee Lab International in 1995.

“I was lucky because I came from wine country and had the sensory background which could be applied to the coffee industry,” Alves said. “At that time, there was no place people could go to learn, but these days, the Specialty Coffee Association of America and other organizations in Europe have established a curriculum where we can teach about brewing, cupping, roasting, and being a barista. It’s almost like professional development classes.”

Alves is putting the finishing touches on a new building, which is tentatively scheduled to open in early January. It will include a larger space for teaching and a coffee bar. It will be the first fully certified facility on the East Coast.

“We only roast coffee when we have an order, so people have to order ahead,” he said. “This way, I can sell by the cup.”

The cupping and tasting classes Alves will offer will follow the curriculum of the nonprofit Coffee Quality Institute, while the roasting classes will be of his own design.

Alves has developed a new product line, Caff-Draft; a nitrogen-infused cold coffee. The product is poured from a tap and resembles a dark ale, but tastes like coffee.

“It’s very refreshing,” he said “and we’ll have different types that we’ll put on the market seasonally.”

The new café will have two or three different spigots for Caff-Draft. Additionally, Alves is planning some mixed coffee drinks using local brewed alcohol.

Customer loyalty matters

Like Alves, Sandy Riggen came to the world of coffee via a circuitous route. A former caterer and private chef, Riggen bought Brown and Jenkins Coffee 10 years ago with her husband, Rich Williams. The company is one of the state’s older coffee roasters, dating back to 1984.

Riggen said baby boomers continue to favor percolated coffee over more modern single-serve options. The majority of her sales are online, with a subscription business of nearly 2,000 people. The company also has commercial and personal accounts and sells its coffee at the Vermont Maple Outlet on Route 15.

“Our demographic is over 50, well-traveled, well-educated and worldly,” Riggen said. “I know a lot about my customers and they tend to be more loyal than millennials.”

Baby boomers are interested in learning more about what they drink, Riggen said, so she has begun providing more background material about her coffee on the company’s website.

Brown and Jenkins has 72 different types of coffee, including 14 single origin beans, a designation which indicates that all the beans come from the same location.

Riggen said coffee can be used in a variety of foods and she offers coffee rubs as part of her product line. It was only after she had purchased the company that she learned one of the secret ingredients in her grandmother’s signature gravy was coffee.

Boomers want better coffee

A relative newcomer to the field of gourmet coffee is Tony Basiliere, the 63-year-old owner of Earthback Coffee Roasters in South Burlington. Basiliere said he thinks baby boomers are drinking less coffee than they did in their youth, but are gravitating to better coffee.

“They are enjoying coffee more for its flavor attributes,” he said, noting that young people are following suit. “Being into coffee as a young person is a hip thing, which I think is fantastic.”

Earthback Coffee can be purchased online and at locations in Washington and Chittenden counties. It is the exclusive coffee served at Tight Squeeze in Burlington.

Baby boomers and their millennial counterparts are part of what is known as the third wave of coffee, Basiliere said, a movement which considers coffee to be an artisanal product similar to wine rather than being treated as a commodity.

But Basiliere said he thinks, in some cases, that wave is being pushed a bit too far by those who make coffee overly light in order to accentuate the flavor characteristics, but lose body as a result.

Basiliere has been in business since 2011 and his beans are certified by the Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade or USDA Organic. He said baby boomers are particularly interested in the organic label for health reasons.

“We’ve beaten ourselves up and we want to take better care of ourselves now,” he said, “but the reality is that specialty grade coffees, even those without an organic certification, don’t have anything bad in them.”

The name Earthback comes from Basiliere’s commitment to a healthy ecosystem.

“My philosophy in business,” he said “is awareness of the environment, constantly seeking ways to lessen the impact or footprint.”

Basiliere makes his deliveries with recycled banana boxes and only a tiny percentage of the company’s waste goes to a landfill. He recently purchased a Loring coffee roaster which he described as the most energy efficient on the market, using one-fourth the energy of a conventional roaster with no emissions.

After years of medical warnings about the effects of coffee, Riggen said she is pleased that current studies show that there are benefits to drinking it.

“Coffee is universal,” she said. “It connects the world.”

Check them out

Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea Company

80 Commercial Drive, Waterbury, 802-244-8338,
vtartisan.com

Brown & Jenkins

P.O. Box 280, Jeffersonville, 802-644-8300,
brownjenkins.com

Earthback Coffee Roasters

11 Simpson Court, South Burlington, 802-489-5555,
earthbackcoffeeroasters.com

source: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com / Burlington Free Press / by Phyl Newbeck, Free Press Correspondent / December 19th, 2016