Kinini

The Kinini project started in 2012 when regeneration work began across 252 hectares in Rwanda’s Northern Province. Nearly half a million Bourbon Mayaguez seedlings were planted, alongside new nurseries and continued access to young trees. Led by Jacquie Turner and Malcolm Clear, the initiative also focused on improving infrastructure, including building roads so farmers in Rusiga and Mbogo could reach the washing station quickly enough to maintain cherry quality.

At the Kinini washing station, cherries are sorted, depulped on a McKinnon pulper, and fermented in a series of tanks before being channelled to soaking tanks and raised beds for slow drying. Each bed is individually marked for traceability, and yellow tarpaulin allows quick protection from rain. Recent developments include a roasting facility, the introduction of natural and anaerobic processing, and a worm bed that turns discarded coffee cherry into organic fertiliser. Satellite monitoring is also used to track leaf health, helping farmers address disease early and maintain clean, high-quality cup profiles.