Harvest and Processing

During the harvest season, cherry is selectively handpicked by Stanislas, his family and seasonal workers. Accepted cherry is then placed in floating tanks that are then used to separate heavy, high-quality cherries from lighter, lower-quality ones. Sorting work consumes over 70% of seasonal labor, but Rusatira knows it is worth it. Once sorting is complete, fermentation begins. For this lot, Akagera used dry anaerobic fermentation. Cherries are placed in plastic barrels, covered, and kept under shade to regulate temperature. Fermentation lasts 72 hours. Once complete, workers hand-pick the fermented cherries out of the barrels. After fermentation, cherries are spread on well-ventilated drying beds to ensure airflow and prevent overheating. Shade nets are used to cover the beds, allowing air circulation while filtering out direct sunlight. To avoid rapid drying and preserve flavor, cherries are moved in and out of shade multiple times throughout the day. At Akagera, exposure to direct sunlight is limited to 6 hours each day in the late afternoon due to local climate conditions. Drying continues for 34 days until the cherries are ready.