The Tanzanian Coffee Board states that coffee was introduced by German missionaries on the late 1800’s. However there is oral evidence the Haya tribe in the northwest of the country were using a locally grown Robusta boiled with herbs as a stimulant. During German colonisation that ended in 1918, Arabica was planted in the Kilimanjaro region. Britain took over as the colonial power and continued to encourage coffee growers. 1n 1961, Tanzania became independent and the coffee struggled through a number of government initiated controls until the in the early 1990’s the industry was reformed. The Tanzanian Coffee Board was reinstated and efficiencies and output increased noticeably. About 90% of Tanzanian coffee is grown by small family farms, the remainder by estates. Farmers can sell at the farm gate, through the Moshi based auctions or directly to overseas traders or roasters.
Tanzanian coffee is described as having good acidity, full body and extremely fragrant. As a coffee, it’s always been in the shadow of its Kenyan cousins but rapidly gaining its own recognition as farmer’s direct interaction with traders and roasters is proving a positive tools for focussing on quality. Organic certification, great tasting Naturals and microlots are getting the acknowledgement they deserve.
Kilimanjaro Plantation is one of the oldest in Tanzania and benefits from its position on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro with a cooler climate. The land is well irrigated with glacial run off; the soil highly fertile and volcanic. The plantation is 595 hectares with roughly 1.2 million coffee trees. Incorporated into the plantation are wildlife corridors