One Acre Fund established a coffee trial with 100 farmers in Nyamasheke district in 2010. In addition to receiving lime and fertilizer, farmers were trained on correct application and best practices in coffee farming, such as mulching and composting to maintain good soil structure. Like most other agriculture practices, timing and application method are key. Lime is added prior to the rainy season, and fertilizer is applied roughly two weeks after the rains begin. Lime must be mixed into the soil to be the most beneficial, but farmers must be careful not to inadvertently damage the shallow feeder roots of the coffee plants beneath the soil surface.
The results of the first trial were remarkable. Over 100 farmers showed a 58 percent increase in harvest due to the use of inputs in the first year, translating to an income increase of about $65 USD for the average coffee farmer.
Rwandan coffee farmers – Photo: One Acre Fund
The team also expanded the trial to three additional districts: Karongi, Rusizi, and Rutsiro, with the goal of testing the impact of mulch; mulch and fertilizer; and mulch, fertilizer, and lime. Among the four districts of operation, the average Rwandan coffee farmer with 250 trees who used mulch, fertilizer, and lime earned about $200 USD more than those who used only mulch, after factoring in the cost of inputs.
Lime application resulted in an average increased profit of $122 USD, when compared to only fertilizer application for an average farmer with 250 trees.
“I started to use fertilizer on my 450 coffee trees 20 years ago,” he says. “I never harvested more than 1,000 kilograms of beans. After I began using lime and fertilizer in 2012, I grew more than 1,500 kilograms and I expect the harvest to increase even more next season. I will continue to use the lime and fertilizer and I advise others to do the same.”