Our Coffee
The Kilimanjaro Native Cooperative Union farmers produce Kilimanjaro Coffee, which is a distinctive washed Arabica, finely balanced and prized for its body, acidity and flavour. It is unique due to the mountain’s volcanic soils. Kilimanjaro has a reputation throughout the world as one of Africa’s finest coffees.
The Kilimanjaro
Arabica Coffee
Variety of Coffee grown on the slopes on Mt. Kilimanjaro is Arabica, the areas grown stretches from lower altitude to upper altitude is between 1000-2000 mm above sea level. Flowering and Maturing of coffee depends on the weather and altitude.
Coffee
Flowering
Flowering of Coffee on lower altitude starts first, followed by middle altitude and later in higher altitude. The flowering of coffee normally starts late September depend on onset of short rains to December respectively.
Coffee
Ripening
Ripening of Coffee follows the same track that means it starts from the lower altitude to higher altitude. Ripening from low altitude to high altitude starts between April/May and October. Farms will be ripened in between the months depending with the altitude they are found. For example farmers in Kware Society starts in April and ends in January, while Machame Wari starts in July and ends in February. Coffees of higher altitude have better quality than those in the lower and middle altitude because they take longer time to mature.
Coffee
Collection
After ripening of coffee, a farmer usually take it to a near Primary Cooperative Society where he/she sale his/her parchment coffee. In the societies when the collections are enough, KNCU through Procurement Section collect the parchment and transport them to TCCCo (Tanganyika Coffee Curing Company) for curing process before it is taken to the auction at TCB (Tanzania Coffee Board).
After curing and grading of coffee, samples are taken to TCB for cupping; TCB provide certification for premium quality that range between 1-5 classes to qualify for direct export. Normally organic coffee is the one qualify for Direct Export; the rest are bought at the auction and then exported.
Qualities of
our parchment
AA, A, B, C are Heavy solid beans graded according to size, AA being the largest (screen 18).
PB Pea Berry, a fully formed and sound, heavy bean from a cherry which contains only one bean.
PB Pea Berry grade has acquired a World reputation for its rich, mild, aromatic, and full bodied brew that is produced from the male bean.
All of our coffee are wet proceeded and sun drying of parchment with Bourbon; Kent.
Taste of our coffee
- The Cupping
Kilimanjaro Native Cooperative Union has its own liquoring room under the department of Commercial to ensure the quality of coffee is of high standard. The cup is medium to strong acidity, light to medium body light citrus complexity.