Helcio has been working with coffee since he was 15 years old. In 1976, Helcio married Glycia Pereira Carneiro and began to manage the farm, Santa Lucia. At that time there was no concern about the quality of coffee, the focus was simply on volume. They had no access to knowledge, technology or even information about markets for Specialty coffees.

In the 90s, Helcio was part of the movement that started searching for quality in the region of Carmo de Minas, being one of the founders of Aprocam – Association of Coffee Producers from the Mantiqueira Region.

This group of pioneers sought the help of experts and scientists to know the actual quality of coffees and how to produce quality on a large-scale. These experts shared with the group about the Pulped Natural Processing Method and how it would be helpful in their wish. Helcio was one of the first growers to get the facilities needed for this method, being a pioneer in the region.

Year after year, with the support of universities and scientists, as well as trips to other coffee producing countries, Helcio has continued getting better in the production of specialty coffees. We've cupped coffees from Santa Lucia since 2017. Nowadays his name and his farm are known in key markets.

"Our main challenge is in manpower, there will be a change in the characteristic of our coffee region due to this factor. And we need to be prepared for this moment"

We have been privileged to work with Bumbogo CWS since 2017 and were the second international buyer to purchase and visit Bumbogo. In the three years we've visited, we've been greeted with a traditional song and dance. It's a surreal feeling being welcomed into this place of business in such a warm and welcoming fashion.

Emmanuel Rusatira, one of the partners and founders of Bumbogo, was able to demonstrate how the mill's purpose was to stimulate this local economy and was successful in doing so after the first operating season in 2017. This mill is situated for large volumes and just like other mills MTCo operates, they pay a premium per pound of cherry to the farmers they work with.

After a challenging 2020 season, 523 farmers went on record selling their coffee to Bumbogo, and collectively about 300 tonnes of cherry were purchased for processing. To handle this volume, 105 workers were hired in peak season. This showcases the significant economic impact Bumbogo has in its region.

The majority of the workers at Bumbogo are women. This mill, as well as others that Muraho Trading Co. operates, are trying to empower the female workforce in Rwanda!

There is a wide variety of processing techniques now being practiced at Bumbogo. For the majority of their volume, they utilize a Pinhal Maquina coffee depulper to separate the cherry from the seeds. Both cherries and seeds are then macerated using a stomp-down-song-and-dance process called 'Ikinimba' and co-fermented in a ceramic open-air tank for approximately 12 hours. This begins in the evening, when the temperature cools considerably. In the morning, the coffee is washed with clean flowing water in a serpentine channel, once again separating the cherry from the seeds, while more importantly, sorting the seeds by density.

Bumbogo is the closest station to Kigali and one to look out for in coming years. It has a very high ceiling for potential and a recognizable flavour profile.