Mutovu 1211, Rwanda

Description

Located just 5 km from the Karambi Mountain station in the same sector, Mutovu is a neighbouring site named after the river that flows beneath it. The river supplies water to the washing station, supplemented by rainwater collected from the mountain. Rainwater is stored in tanks and distributed throughout the site. After use, the water is treated via filtration, with lime added to adjust the pH, and then held in small lagoons for anaerobic decomposition and eventual evaporation.

The Mutovu washing station covers just 2 hectares and is situated near the towns of Gatare and Gikangaga. Built in 2012, it came under Rwanda Trading Company (RTC) ownership in 2018. The station employs five full-time staff and an additional 70 seasonal workers, 90% of whom are women. A total of 995 farmers supply cherries to Mutovu, all of whom have either completed or are currently participating in RTC’s training program.

Annual production has increased from 240 tons to 300 tons of cherry since 2018. Farms in the surrounding area, located 0.5–5 km from the station, are served by 12 collection points. On average, each farm has 3,500 coffee trees.