Coffee news: The United States Agency for International Development has 6 millions for Rwanda

In the past five years under a similar $10million USAID initiative, money was spent on the development of coffee washing stations country wide. Farmers were also trained in better coffee growing and processing techniques.

The new initiative is to further improve on the quality of the coffee to fetch better prices and more money to rural farmers in a practical way to fight poverty.

Speaking to Business Week during a cupping (tasting) ceremony at the US Ambassador's Residence in Kigali recently, the director of Ocir Café (Rwanda Coffee Board) said 2006 was a fruitful year.

"Last year we produced 3,000tonnes of fully washed coffee, 2000 tonnes were of high quality. We earned a total of about $6million," Mr. Ephrem Niyonsaba said.

Each kilogramme of coffee fetched between $3 to $4. This year Ocir Café has raised targets and intends to produce 10,000 metric tonnes of fully washed coffee, 80% of which should be of high grade specialty.

The minister of commerce, Mr. Protais Mitali who attended the function said in 2002 the Rwandan Government decided to put emphasis on the quality of coffee as opposed to quantity and then build on from there.

"Government wants to modernise the coffee industry. In the next two years all coffee produced should be of specialty grade," he explained.

The SPREAD project is to maintain Rwanda's status.

"Where Rwanda is today, it will never go back to where it was five years ago. Rwanda is today producing one of the finest coffees in the world," SPREAD director, Dr. Timothy Schilling told delegates who attended the second cupping ceremony that ceremonially kicked off the coffee season in Rwanda.

Some key officials from the US, the biggest recipients of Rwandan coffee graced the occasion. The chairman of the Roasters Guild in the US, Mr. Geoff Watts said, "I have not seen progress anywhere as it is in Rwanda.