Altitude:
1,300–1,900m (4,300–6,200ft)
Harvest:
March–June
Varieties:
Bourbon, Mibirizi
TANZANIA
Oral histories tell of coffee coming to Tanzania from Ethiopia in the 16th century. Brought by the Haya people and known as ‘Haya Coffee’ or amwani, this was probably a Robusta variety and has since become strongly entwined in Tanzanian culture. The ripe cherries would be boiled, then smoked for several days and chewed rather than brewed into a drink.
Coffee first became a cash crop for Tanzania (previously Tanganyika) under German colonial rule. In 1911, the colonists mandated the planting of Arabica coffee trees throughout the Bukoba region. Their methods were very different from the way the Haya people had traditionally dealt with coffee growing, and the Haya were reluctant to replace their food crops with coffee. However, the region did start to produce more and more coffee. Other parts of the country were less familiar with coffee, and so provided less resistance to growing it. The Chagga tribe, living around Mount Kilimanjaro, switched completely to coffee production when Germany put an end to the slave trade.
After World War I, control of the region fell to the British. They launched a campaign to plant over ten million seedlings in Bukoba but they, too, fell into conflict with the Haya, which often resulted in trees being uprooted. As a result, there was not a strong growth in production in the region, compared to that in the Chagga region. However, the first cooperative was formed in 1925, called the Kilimanjaro Native Planters’ Association (KNPA). This was the first of several cooperatives, and the producers enjoyed their new-found ability to sell more directly to London and to achieve better prices.
After independence was granted in 1961, the Tanzanian government turned its attention to coffee, hoping to double production by 1970 – a goal they did not achieve. After struggling with low growth in industry, high levels of inflation and a declining economy, the government changed to a multiparty democracy.
Overlooked by Mount Kilimanjaro, these recently planted coffee trees form part of a new plantation in Mwika, Tanzania.
During the early and mid-1990s, reforms were implemented in the coffee industry to allow the more direct sale of coffee from producers to buyers, instead of driving everything through the State Coffee Marketing Board. The coffee industry suffered a serious setback in the late 1990s when coffee wilt disease spread through the country and caused significant losses of coffee trees in the north, close to the border with Uganda. Today Tanzania’s coffee production is about seventy per cent Arabica and thirty per cent Robusta.
A worker sorts through dried, harvested beans at a factory near the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. The coffee produced in this country is almost entirely harvested from smallholder farms.
TRACEABILITY
Around ninety per cent of coffee in Tanzania is produced by its 450,000 smallholder farmers. The remaining ten per cent comes from larger estates. It is possible to find coffees traceable back to a cooperative of growers and their washing station, or back to a single farm if it is an estate coffee. The better coffees I have tasted in recent years have come from the estates, and I would recommend seeking them out first.
GRADING
Tanzania uses what is sometimes called the British nomenclature of grading, similar to that in Kenya. These grades include AA, A, B, PB, C, E, F, AF, TT, UG and TEX.
TASTE PROFILE
Complex, with bright and lively acidity and often with berry and fruity flavours, Tanzanian coffees can be juicy, interesting and delicious.
GROWING REGIONS
Population: 55,570,000
Number of 60kg (132lb) bags in 2016: 870,000
Tanzania produces a reasonable quantity of Robusta, although this production is focused in the northwest, near Lake Victoria. The other growing regions are, in some ways, defined by their high altitude.
KILIMANJARO
This is the oldest growing area in Tanzania for Arabica, so it is fair to say that it has had the most time to develop its recognition internationally and build its reputation. The long tradition of coffee production here means there is better infrastructure and facilities, although a lot of the trees are now very old and have comparatively low yields. Increasingly, coffee is facing competition from other crops.
Altitude:
1,050–2,500m (3,500–8,100ft)
Harvest:
July–December
Varieties:
Kent, Bourbon, Typica, Typica/Nyara
ARUSHA
Arusha borders the region around Mount Kilimanjaro, and in many ways is very similar. This region surrounds Mount Meru, an active volcano that has been quiet since 1910.
Altitude:
1,100–1,800m (3,600–5,900ft)
Harvest:
July–December
Varieties:
Kent, Bourbon, Typica, Typica/Nyara
RUVUMA
This region takes its name from the Ruvuma river and is in the extreme south of the country. The coffee tends to be centred around the Mbingo district, and is considered to have great potential for high quality, although in the past it has been held back by a lack of access to finance.
Altitude:
1,200–1,800m (3,900–5,900ft)
Harvest:
June–October
Varieties:
Kent, Bourbon, Bourbon derivatives such as N5 and N39
MBEYA
Centred around the city of Mbeya in the south of the country, this region is a key producer of high-value export crops including coffee, tea, cacao and spices. The area has recently seen increased interest from certification groups and non-government organizations looking to improve the quality of the coffee produced, which traditionally has not always been very high.
Altitude:
1,200–2,000m (3,900–6,600ft)
Harvest:
June–October
Varieties:
Kent, Bourbon, Typica
TARIME
This is a small region in the far north of the country, bordering Kenya, with a limited international profile. It is starting to produce some higher-quality coffees and has the opportunity to expand its production. It has a relatively low production and limited infrastructure for coffee processing, but the increased attention it has seen recently has led to coffee production being tripled in the last ten years.
Altitude:
1,500–1,800m (4,900–5,900ft)
Harvest:
July–December
Varieties:
Kent, Bourbon, Typica, Robustas
KIGOMA
This region is named for the regional capital city of Kigoma, and is situated on a plateau of gently rolling hills in the northeast of the country near the border with Burundi. The region has produced some stunning coffees, though the industry there is still in its infancy compared to the rest of the country.
Altitude:
1,100–1,700m (3,600–5,600ft)
Harvest:
July–December
Varieties:
Kent, Bourbon, Typica
UGANDA
Uganda is one of the few countries in the world with indigenous coffee, with Robusta growing wild around Lake Victoria. Coffee is an enormous part of the Ugandan export economy, and the country is one of the largest producers of coffee in the world. However, as most of that coffee is Robusta, Uganda has struggled to achieve a reputation for quality.
Although the indigenous Robusta crops had been part of Ugandan culture for hundreds of years, coffee wasn’t originally part of the country’s agricultural industry. In the early 1900s, Arabica was introduced, probably from Malawi and Ethiopia. This crop didn’t do well and struggled against disease. However, around the same time there was an increase in the farming of Robusta and the more disease-resistant variety seemed to flourish.
In 1925 coffee made up only one per cent of the country’s exports, but was considered an important crop and well-suite
d to the increasing number of smallholder farmers. In 1929 the Coffee Industry Board was established. Cooperative farming acted as a catalyst for the industry’s growth and in the 1940s coffee became the country’s principle export. Following independence, the government passed a Coffee Act in 1969 that gave the Coffee Industry Board full control over pricing.
Coffee remained a strong industry through Idi Amin’s regime, buoyed for a time by the global increase in prices caused by the frost in Brazil in 1975. In the 1980s it was still the strongest cash crop, and production grew. However, an increasing amount of coffee was smuggled over borders into neighbouring countries to be sold at a higher price than that mandated by the government.
In 1988 the Coffee Industry Board increased the prices it paid to farmers, but by the end of the year it was deeply in debt, and had to be bailed out by the government. The collapse of the International Coffee Agreement in 1989 caused a dramatic drop in prices, and the government devalued the Ugandan shilling in an effort to make coffee exports more appealing globally. In 1990 production dropped by twenty per cent, not only because of prices but also because of drought and a shift away from coffee towards other subsistence crops.
In the early 1990s the industry became increasingly liberalized, with the government only playing a supporting role in marketing and development. From here we can draw a fairly straight line to today’s coffee industry. The Ugandan Coffee Development Authority has continued to relax rules, allowing better traceability and easier access to Ugandan coffee. Producer groups are increasingly building their own brands and reputations.
Robusta remains the primary coffee export, and Uganda is building a reputation for good-quality Robusta. Arabica production remains relatively small, but quality is increasing. In the coming years, Ugandan coffees will probably play a bigger and bigger role in the speciality world.
Some regions of Uganda have the right combination of soil, altitude and climate to produce excellent coffee.
Roasting coffee at the Good African Coffee company’s factory in Kampala. The company was set up by a local businessman in 2003.
TRACEABILITY
The best coffees from Uganda generally come from producer groups or cooperatives. There are two terms unique to Ugandan coffees: Wugar (washed Ugandan Arabica) and Drugar (dried Ugandan Arabica). The country produces coffee nearly all year round, with most areas having a main crop and a second, smaller crop known as a ‘fly crop’.
A coffee farmer in the Kamuli region, where an NGO-run agricultural training programme helps people improve their livelihoods.
TASTE PROFILE
Exceptional coffee from Uganda is still relatively rare, but the best cups are sweet, full of dark fruits and have a clean finish.
GROWING REGIONS
Population: 41,490,000
Number of 60kg (132lb) bags in 2016: 4,900,000
Growing regions in Uganda are not always well or clearly defined and agreed upon.
BUGISU
This area has the best reputation for quality, in particular the area around Mount Elgon close to the border with Kenya. Farms are on steep slopes here, and the lack of infrastructure can prove challenging. The area has the soil, altitude and climate to produce excellent coffee.
Altitude:
1,500–2,300m (4,900–7,550ft)
Harvest:
October–March (main crop), May–July (fly crop)
Varieties:
Kent, Typica, SL-14, SL-28
WEST NILE
More Arabica coffee grows in the northwest of the country, to the north of Lake Albert, up against the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Arabicas grow closer to the lake, with more Robusta further to the north.
Altitude:
1,450–1,800m (4,760–5,900ft)
Harvest:
October–January (main crop), April–June (fly crop)
Varieties:
Kent, Typica, SL-14, SL-28, native Robusta
WESTERN UGANDA
The highest coffee production is in the Rwenzori mountains, bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is common to see naturally processed coffees (the Drugars) produced in this region.
Altitude:
1,200–2,200m (3,900–7,200ft)
Harvest:
April–July (main crop), October–January (fly crop)
Varieties:
Kent, Typica, SL-14, SL-28, native Robusta
CENTRAL LOWLANDS
Robusta grows throughout much of the country, all the way down to the Lake Victoria Basin. Altitudes are much lower and crops are dependent on good rainfall. Tuzza is a modern Catimor variety grown in lower regions, and is disease resistant.
Altitude:
1,200–1,500m (3,900–4,900ft)
Harvest:
November–February (main crop), May–August (fly crop)
Varieties:
native Robusta, some Tuzza
ZAMBIA
Zambia has been, for quite some time, overlooked by much of the speciality coffee industry. One could argue that it is a chicken-and-egg situation, as historically little interest from speciality buyers has led to little investment in quality, and little investment in quality has led to little interest from speciality buyers.
Coffee was introduced to Zambia in the 1950s, by missionaries who brought Bourbon seed stock from Tanzania and Kenya. However, the industry did not gear up production until the late 1970s and early 1980s with the assistance of funding from the World Bank. Problems with pests and diseases led growers to adopt the Catimor hybrid, which is less delicious than Bourbon. This was, in some ways, a temporary switch and the government went back to recommending Bourbon, but there is still a fair amount of Catimor in the country.
Zambia’s coffee exports peaked in 2005/2006 at around 6,500 tonnes (7,150 tons), but have dropped dramatically since. Some attribute the drop to low prices and a crucial lack of long-term financing in the industry. In addition to this, the country’s largest producer closed in 2008 after defaulting on its loans. The Northern Coffee Corp was producing one-third of the country’s 6,000 tonnes (6,600 tons) at the time of closure. Total production dropped to just 300 tonnes (330 tons) in 2012, although it now seems to be recovering.
Most of Zambia’s coffee comes from larger estates, although there has been some encouragement of smallholders too. The estates are generally well run, have good access to modern equipment (because coffee production started relatively late here), and may be owned by multinationals. Smallholder farming has struggled to take hold, access to fertilizers and equipment has been difficult and generally the quality has not been high. The lack of access to water and decent post-harvest processing has further hindered the production of clean, sweet coffees.
TRACEABILITY
The best coffees in Zambia tend to come from single estates, although you may have to look hard for them. Not only is overall production small in Zambia, but high-quality coffees are not commonplace. Frustratingly, the country has the undeniable potential to produce stellar coffees, from its seed stock to its geography.
Once ripened, coffee cherries are picked by workers on Zambia’s plantations, most of which are large, well-run estates that have good access to modern equipment.
TASTE PROFILE
The rare, excellent coffees are bright and floral, with a clean fruit-like complexity.
GROWING REGIONS
Population: 16,590,000
Number of 60kg (132lb) bags in 2016: 2,000
The regions in Zambia are not well defined, and are typically just referred to as Southern, Central, Copperbelt and Northern regions. Coffee is mainly grown in the Northern district of the Muchinga Mountains (an area that includes the regions of Isoka, Nakonde and Kasama) and around the capital city Lusaka.
Altitude:
900–2,000m (3,000–6,600ft)
Harvest:
April–September
Varieties:
Bourbon, Catimor
CHINA
In many ways,
the eyes of the coffee world are on China. As a consuming country, it has the potential to destabilize the global industry but China is also starting to produce surprisingly large volumes of coffee. Growers are beginning to turn their attention to quality, pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the soil, climate and varieties found there.
Coffee was introduced to the Yunnan province by a French missionary in 1892. The story is that he crossed the border from Vietnam, bringing with him coffee seeds, and then planted them near his church in the village of Zhukula. For almost a hundred years, very little happened in the way of coffee production – unsurprising in a region famous for the amount, and quality, of tea it grows. In 1988, coffee production was invigorated in Yunnan, as part of a joint venture with the United Nations Development Program and the World Bank. Its success probably lies with the interest and support of Nestlé, which encouraged growth in the region.
The World Atlas of Coffee: From beans to brewing - coffees explored, explained and enjoyed Page 15