Pest management is a key area in which we apply the strictest standards of corporate responsibility. At Burka Estates, we are committed to sustainability, meaning a harmony between economic, environmental and social components. We have adopted a minimalist approach towards pesticides and fertilizers, always aiming to heal diseased or pest aggravated trees. An Integrated Pest Management approach is adopted, whereby a judicial use of chemicals protects ‘friendly’ pest predators which have a natural habitat in and around the coffee. All pesticides are internationally approved products for coffee production and are applied strictly according to necessity. Our high level of organic pesticide usage limits any detrimental effects on the environment and minimizes our workers’ exposure to hazardous materials. Burka is also embarking on an innovative vermicompost project that converts our coffee pulp into valuable manure, further reducing the need for inorganic fertilizers.
Pruning
Yielding Speciality Coffee
Similarly, our pruning practices are engineered to minimize competition for nutrients, balance the absorption of the fruits, and maintaining our high quality. The quality of the coffee crop relies heavily on the mature development of each berry. The closer it is to the stem, the more time it has to absorb and store nutrients, yielding speciality coffee. Pruning is essential to balance the food nutrition of the plant, and maximize the likelihood of getting a certain bean size. Pruning practices involved are capping at a height, conversion of old stems after years of production, annual pruning of primary stems, and mid season pruning to arrange the immature wood for next year’s production. Rotational full coffee stumping by blocks is also done, cutting down the coffee plant back to knee height to refresh itself and begin its growth-cycle again. It is this care that maximizes the benefits of some of our oldest and strongest roots, which after 90 years produce some of our finest quality cherries.
