At PMC, we love coffees from Burundi. This small and often overlooked country doesn't have the production power of its East African neighbors, but coffee is tied into the fabric of everyday life.

Coffee production in Burundi is fueled by over 600,000 smallholders, and their income usually supports the entire family. To put that into perspective, the whole population of Burundi is just under 11 million people, meaning smallholder producers and their families make up almost 50% of Burundi's entire population.

The area of Gisha, and subsequently the washing station, was given its name by King Bigayimpunzi, once the ruler of the Tangara commune and founder of the Democratic and Rural party. The beautiful palace he lived in still sits on a nearby hill and has been used since to house dignitaries who oversaw the region's administration.

Today the Gisha station receives and processes cherry from around 1750 local producers and pays far above the average price. The fertile land and meticulous processing are a winning combination, with the station placing 11th in the 2019 Cup of Excellence.