Rwanda: Nyamasheke; Cyato

Tucked away in the Nyamasheke region of Rwanda's Western Province is the Cyato washing station site. This is one of two washing stations managed by the Fidele family, the first of the two producing naturals and started by the father, and Cyato managed mainly by son Leo. Cyato is set up with a Penagos 800, and they are producing mainly fully washed coffee. The station is much farther than some of the others in Nyamasheke, and on the edge of the Forest of Nyungwe. Cyato sits at roughly 1850 meters above sea level, and the local coffee farmers have coffee planted well above 1900 meters, growing older Bourbon cultivars. Coffee is wet processed, hand picked, and dried at Cyato proper, but then moved to a house nearby where they store the dry parchment to rest before preparing for exportation. A newer venture for the Fidele's, they hope to reinvest in their wet mill for the upcoming season in order increase the mill capacity and produce a higher volume of exportable specialty in return