Day 20. Ngila Estate RFA - Tanzania

The coffee sector in Tanzania stands as one of the country's most vital agricultural industries, both economically and culturally. Coffee, especially the Arabica and Robusta varieties, ranks among Tanzania's top export crops, alongside tea and tobacco. Renowned for its distinct flavours, Tanzanian coffee is often celebrated for its bright acidity, fruity undertones, and rich body, making it a popular choice among specialty coffee enthusiasts.

There is a smallholder dominance with approximately 90% of Tanzania's coffee is cultivated by smallholder farmers, many of whom manage farms smaller than 2 hectares. These farmers heavily rely on coffee as their primary cash crop.

The coffee industry indirectly supports millions of Tanzanians by providing jobs in farming, processing, and exporting.

Introducing the Tanzania Ngila Estate RFA, a coffee sourced from the lush Karatu region. Grown on Ngila Estate at altitudes ranging from 1600 to 1800 meters above sea level, this coffee features a blend of Kenta and Bourbon varietals. Graded as AA and certified by the Rainforest Alliance, it undergoes a wet processing method that highlights its unique flavor profile. With tasting notes of black tea, berries, caramel, and sugar cane, each sip promises to tantalize your taste buds.

Ngila Coffee Estate is located in the Karatu District, nestled on the slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater and adjacent to the Ngila Forest Reserve. Established in the early 20th century by a German family, the estate changed hands after World War II when British farmers took over. In 1990, it was sold to Rudolf Meyer, a German family. Since then, the coffee area has expanded, and advancements such as irrigation technology and new processing equipment have been implemented. For over a decade, Ngila coffee has gained recognition as one of the finest washed Arabica coffees from the Ngorongoro Crater, enriched by the water from the Endoro stream flowing from Ngorongoro National Park.

Spanning around 100 hectares, Ngila Coffee Estate is home to approximately 150,000 coffee trees, producing around 120 tons of premium Arabica highland coffee annually. The coffee varieties cultivated are Bourbon and Typica, situated at altitudes of 1500 to 1600 meters above sea level, just 4° south of the Equator. Positioned on the edge of the cloud forest in northern Tanzania, it lies near the Conservation Area on the slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater.

Since 1992 the estate has since adopted modern technologies, including drip irrigation and water-efficient coffee processing equipment. With a skilled and experienced staff, Ngila Coffee Estate produces highland coffee that meets stringent quality standards.

All coffee on the farm is carefully handpicked and sorted to eliminate any damaged or underripe cherries before pulping. The harvesting process is meticulous, lasting nearly two months with 3 to 4 passes for each tree.

After hand-sorting, the coffee is placed in flotation tanks to remove any underweight or damaged cherries. Next, the beans are processed through a Penagos pulper, which extracts some of the mucilage from the berries. The coffee is transported in buckets from the density-sorting channel to drying tables, where the parchment is air-dried for a minimum of 7 days, with regular turning and netting coverage during the hottest parts of the day.