AKAGERA COFFEE WASHING STATION
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Akagera is a newer station in the Baho Coffee lineup that Emmanuel began managing at the beginning of the 2020 season. It’s located in the famed Nyamasheke District, set between the beautiful Lake Kivu and Nyungwe National Forest. This is Baho’s 2nd smallest station, with 460 farmers delivering cherries for a total of just under 400 60kg bags of coffee each year. Akagera is considered the sister station to Ngoma, which is just a short drive down the road; you might notice that many of the same hill or island groups will deliver to both stations.    

At the end of 2019, Akagera was being managed solely by the Kobakanya Cooperative (translated, Cooperative of Coffee Growers of Nyamasheke) - a legally registered cooperative that collectively established the washing station a few years prior. Kobakanya had unfortunately been struggling to find consistent market access and was beginning to have a hard time managing the station properly

They then approached Baho with the option to purchase the station. Already familiar with the small size of the operation and the high-quality potential of the Nyamasheke area, it was a no-brainer for Emmanuel to jump on the opportunity. The Kobakanya Cooperative is still active, and their group of dedicated out-growers will now have established security in guaranteed high prices for cherries and access to the specialty market through Baho Coffee. Emmanuel works in partnership with Kobakanya, helping them remain organized and providing additional tools to grow in the future

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