Rwanda coffee stakeholders are gearing up for the Cup of Excellence competition next month by getting training through the Know Your Cup programme.

The East African Fine Coffee Association and the Common Code for the Coffee Community Association (4C) are hosting the Know Your Cup training for producers, exporters and roasters.

Rachel Kamande, project development facilitator at EAFCA, said the Know Your Cup training will help farmers improve the quality of coffee by showing them how they can make coffee farming a business.

"Quality is the key to all players right from the farmer and if they are to fetch high prices it should be considered as a business, look for ways not to irrigate, apply fertilizers and not depend on the climate,” Kamande said.

She noted that the Know Your Cup concept has been successful in other East African Countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and said that it would increase Rwanda’s domestic consumption. 

Through group discussions, participants will consider the identification of major constraints to the attainment of quality and quantity of fine coffee from Rwanda, what can be done to achieve it and the available resources to achieve it.

EAFCA works jointly with 4cs working toward sustainable coffee production.

Annette Pensel, decentralization manager and 4C representative in Africa, said that they also help their members improve their social, environment and economic performance through good agricultural practices.

"The whole idea is to go green which is a good agricultural practice, where producers, buyers and roaster would not feel cheated,” Pensel said.

EAFCA is an association of coffee producers, processors, marketing people and organizations in the ten Eastern and Southern African countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe as well as others from outside Africa.

Membership thus includes processors, associations, roasters, dealers, retailers, and coffee professionals from all over the world.

The Rwanda Cup of Excellence competition runs from Aug. 18-22.

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