On contract
Tanzania · Kagera
- Species
- Robusta
- Process
- Natural (dry-processed)
- Grade
- Screen 15 up
- Screen
- 15+
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 2 × 40ft
Tanzania · Growing region
Kagera Coffee
Kagera is agronomically closer to Uganda than to the Tanzanian highlands, and it is bought the same way — on specification.
- Species
- Arabica · Robusta
- Preparation
- Natural (dry-processed) · Washed (small volumes)
- Harvest
- May–August
Quick answer
Kagera lies on the western shore of Lake Victoria at 1,000–1,500 m and is Tanzania’s Robusta region. Production is predominantly dry-processed smallholder coffee, harvested May to August and contracted on screen and defect terms rather than the Arabica grade ladder.
Contract on: region · grade · screen · process · crop · moisture · defect tolerance · cup approval.
Request current kagera coffeeA lake basin origin
Kagera borders Uganda and sits in the same Lake Victoria basin where *Coffea canephora* occurs naturally. Altitude runs 1,000 to 1,500 m — well below the Arabica belts — and the growing conditions, farming structure and processing all resemble Ugandan Robusta production more than they do Kilimanjaro or Mbeya.
Small volumes of Arabica are also grown in the region, and some washed Robusta is produced, but the great majority of Kagera coffee is dry-processed Robusta.
Processing and grading
Cherry is dried whole on raised beds or patios and hulled at commercial mills. Because there is no letter grade ladder for Tanzanian Robusta, contracts specify screen retention, defect tolerance, moisture and foreign matter directly — see Tanzania Robusta for the full specification list.
Timing
- Flowering
- September–November, with a second flowering March–April
- Harvest
- May–August
- Processing
- May–September — dominated by the drying phase
- Milling
- July–November
- Export window
- July through to the following February
- Port
- Dar es Salaam
Kagera enquiries
Tell us the screen, defect basis and volume. We will confirm what the crop supports.
Request Current Crop OfferLast reviewed 2 min read
Availability
Current Kagera Coffee
Availability moves with the harvest, with milling and with prior commitments. Everything here is confirmed against the current crop on enquiry.
Quality
Quality evaluation
Every parcel runs the same sequence before it is offered and again before it is loaded. What is reported for a given lot depends on what the buyer specifies.
- 01Physical gradePreparation class against the origin’s own system
- 02Screen distributionRetention plus the percentage passing
- 03Defect analysisFull defects per 300 g on a stated weighting table
- 04MoistureRange plus the measurement method and instrument
- 05Water activityWhere the buyer specifies it, for storage stability
- 06DensityBulk density in g/L, for roast planning
- 07Sample roastTo a cupping profile, not a commercial roast
- 08CuppingMultiple cups, against the approved sample
- 09Buyer approvalThe retained sample the shipment is measured against
Export
Packing and export
- Ports of loading
- Dar es Salaam, Tanga
- Bag standard
- 60 kg jute; GrainPro or equivalent liners on request
- Export window
- August through to the following June, peaking October–March
- Incoterms
- FOB · CFR · CIF
Compare
Against the other East African origins
Grade designations do not translate between origins, and harvest windows barely overlap. This is how the region compares at a glance.
| Origin | Species | Main preparation | Representative grades | Harvest | Ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uganda | Robusta · Arabica | Natural (Robusta) · Washed Arabica (WUGAR) | Screen 18 · Screen 17 · Screen 15 · FAQ | Robusta main crop November–February with a fly crop April–July; Elgon Arabica October–February | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) · Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) |
| Kenya | Arabica | Fully washed with soak · Mbuni (natural) | E · AA · AB · PB | Main crop October–December; early (fly) crop May–July | Mombasa |
| Ethiopia | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (sun-dried) | Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3 · Grade 4 | October–January, varying by region and altitude | Djibouti (primary transit port) |
| Rwanda | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (growing) | Grade 1 (fully washed) · Grade 2 · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July, with the peak in April and May | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) · Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) |
| Burundi | Arabica | Fully washed with soak · Natural (limited) | Grade A · Grade B · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July | Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) · Mombasa (Northern Corridor) |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What coffee does Kagera produce?
Predominantly dry-processed Robusta, with small volumes of Arabica and some washed Robusta. It is Tanzania’s Robusta region.
Why does Kagera grow Robusta rather than Arabica?
Altitude and climate. Kagera runs 1,000–1,500 m in the Lake Victoria basin, which suits Robusta — a species indigenous to that basin — better than Arabica.
When is Kagera coffee harvested?
Roughly May to August, with export from July into the following February. That is out of step with Tanzanian Arabica from either highland belt.
Request an offer
Tell us the Tanzania coffee you need
Region, process, grade, screen, moisture, defect tolerance, crop year, packaging and destination. Send what you know and we will confirm what Tanzania realistically supports for the current crop.