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Rwandan Coffee Regions Western Shores Coffee is most intensively cultivated on the Western Shores. This is the Western side of the country along the shores of Lake Kivu. With its excellent rainfall, rich soils and steep hills, it enjoys a unique micro-climate which is very favourable for coffee production. In addition, the root systems of the coffee trees prevent soil erosion. At the higher altitudes, some fine teas are grown together with food crops. The Virunga volcano range towers over the Northern end of the lake. These volcanoes are home to the increasingly rare silverback mountain gorillas and draw visitors from around the world.
Central Highlands The Central Highlands stretch from the Uganda border in the North to the Burundi border in the South. Kigali, the capital city, lies in the middle of this region which ranges in altitude from 1450 to 2000 metres. The hills and valleys are intensively cultivated by the population, who generally practice mixed farming on their smallholdings. While this may not give such high yields as are found in larger plantations, the diversity of the farms enables farmers to practice an environmentally friendly system of cultivation.
Eastern Highlands The Eastern Highlands are a high plateau which stretches out in the East of the country towards the Tanzanian border. It is mainly in the South-East that the coffee is grown. The rainfall in this area is not as high as that found along the shores of Lake Kivu, but is As in the other regions, the farms are of mostly small. There are however a few slightly larger holdings in this area and these provide a model for the smallholders in their |
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