- Tanzania
- September - June
Tanzania Robusta Natural 16 Superior 2025
Tanzania Natural Robusta Green Coffee
Nearly half of Tanzania’s annual coffee volume is Robusta coffee. The West Lakes by Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika border Burundi and Rwanda, where Robusta coffee first entered Tanzania via the Haya tribe in the 16th century.
Today, Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies (AMCOS) manage 95% of the country’s coffee production. Smallholders must be registered to an AMCOS to qualify for support in production, processing, storage, transport, marketing, and government aid. Without membership, their raw green coffee would have no way of reaching the global market.
This AMCOS is managed under the Kagera Development Cooperative Union, which helps manage coffee sales and provides agricultural assistance. The farmers, with an average of 1.2 acres of farmland each, collectively produce up to 90 metric tons of dried cherry per year. Their farms sit at altitudes ranging from 900 to 1,300masl, and they supplement their food and income with fishing in the Lake Victoria area in Kagera.
Although 90% of Arabica coffee production in Tanzania is washed, Robusta coffee is often naturally processed. Ripe cherries are sun dried for 18-25 days and delivered to the AMCOS for storage and milling.
Robusta Green Coffee
In Tanzania, Robusta mainly grows in the Kagera region, where the geographical location and soil quality are well-suited for the species. Coffea canephora originated in Central and West Africa and makes up around 40% of the world’s coffee production volume today. Vietnam is the world’s leading producer of Robusta with nearly 30 million bags a year.
When you compare Arabica vs. Robusta, Robusta trees are easier to cultivate, can thrive in low altitudes and warmer climates, and are often very productive plants in terms of coffee volume. The higher caffeine content in Robusta coffee lends to the species’ robustness due to caffeine’s role as a natural pest repellent. That increased caffeine also leads to higher bitterness levels in Robusta coffee beans.
Robusta coffee is often used in espresso blends for its added value in flavor, aroma, and pronounced crema. The composition of Robusta coffee gives the crema more body and structure, resulting in a denser crema in the cup compared to Arabica coffee.
Tanzanian Green Coffee Bean Production
Tanzania has all of the potential in the world. It is one of the largest countries in Africa by area, and its annual Arabica production rivals its better-known neighbor, Kenya. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicts that Tanzania’s green coffee production will grow at one of the world’s fastest rates, but supply chain complexity could slow things down. Learn more in our Tanzanian Green Coffee Origin Report.
GEOGRAPHY:
Region Karagwe, Kagera
Altitude 900-1300
PRODUCER:
Various smallholders
VARIETY:
Robusta
PROCESSING:
Natural
HARVEST TIME:
September - June