While this year’s harvest was only 35 percent of last year’s, it had little impact on the high-end specialty coffee market. The small yield led to better quality with a higher concentration of high-scoring coffee. Next year’s harvest is projected to be much larger.
Latest harvest arriving soon
Microlots of this year’s harvest have been bagged and brought to containers, loaded onto ships and are wending their way right now from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, across the sea. A variety of Burundian coffees will be arriving in Newark and Oakland by the end of the year.
Because less coffee is available this year, if you’re interested in these shipments, get in touch with me soon for the best selection at info@jnpcoffee.com.
Back to Burundi
I will be traveling to Burundi in January to witness the distribution of premium payments to the women coffee farmers, strengthen my company’s relationship with their communities and visit my family.
Watching the women farmers receive premium payments for the high-quality coffee they produce is one of the highlights of the year for me. And I’m pleased to announce that we are expanding the premium program. By bringing the Dushime program to more farmers, we recognize the critical role the premiums play in their lives and affirm that we are here to make a difference.
Pricing isn’t simple
Coffee pricing is complex, but in the interests of greater transparency, I want to share how the JNP Coffee premiums supplement what women coffee farmers earn. We don’t base our pricing simply on the commodities market, but at a higher rate to encourage farmers to produce the highest quality possible.
It starts with the Burundi Coffee Board, which sets a price for coffee cherries every season in conjunction with the commodities market. Wet mills make their own payments relative to the cherries’ quality and factoring in costs for staff, water, bagging, transportation to dry mills, sorting and storage in warehouses. We selectively purchase from wet mills who support our initiatives, process high-quality coffees and pay higher prices to farmers. JNP Coffee pays the wet mills, which pay the farmers. The post-harvest premiums JNP Coffee pays to women farmers are in addition to prices received from the wet mills and can range anywhere from 50 to 90 percent higher than those prices.
Getting competitive
Early next year, two women will participate in coffee competitions in Nashville with JNP Coffee selections. Their goal is to qualify for the U.S. Coffee Championships.
For the Barista competition, one woman chose the natural coffee from the Kayanza region for its bold berry flavors, medium body and mild acidity. The other woman will compete in the Brewers Cup with our well-regarded Karehe and Kinyovu IWCA coffees. I’m very excited to have three of our coffee varieties entered in these USCC competitions.
With supplies low, there also will be competition for this year’s harvest. Please get in touch soon to secure your microlots.
