Tanzania · Species

Tanzania Robusta

Kagera sits in the same lake basin that makes Uganda a Robusta origin, and its coffee is bought the same way — on specification rather than on lot identity.

Species: Robusta
Preparation: Fully washed · Natural
Harvest: June–October in the south; July–December in the north

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Photo: wisnu dwi wibowo

Quick answer

Tanzanian Robusta comes from Kagera on the western shore of Lake Victoria and is predominantly dry-processed. It does not travel through the Arabica grade ladder: parcels are contracted on screen retention, defect tolerance, moisture and foreign matter.

Contract on: region · grade · screen · process · crop · moisture · defect tolerance · cup approval.

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Kagera

Kagera lies on the western shore of Lake Victoria, at 1,000–1,500 m, bordering Uganda. It is Tanzania’s Robusta region, and its coffee has more in common agronomically with Ugandan Robusta than with Tanzanian Arabica from either highland belt.

Production is smallholder, with cherry dried whole on raised beds or patios and hulled at commercial mills. Small volumes of washed Robusta and some Arabica are also produced in the region.

Harvest and availability

The Kagera harvest runs roughly May to August, with export from July and into the following February. That is out of step with Tanzanian Arabica, which is worth remembering when planning a shipment that combines both.

How it is contracted

Because there is no letter grade ladder, the specification does all the work.

Screen: Commonly 15 and above, or 18 for a sized parcel, with a permitted percentage passing
Defects: Maximum total, with black and broken beans capped separately
Moisture: Ceiling plus method — Robusta commonly contracts around 12–13%
Foreign matter: Maximum, with stones counted separately
Crop year: Explicit
Packaging: 60 kg jute; bulk liner for volume programmes
Port: Dar es Salaam

Kagera Robusta enquiries

Tell us the screen, defect basis and volume. We will confirm what the current crop supports.

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Last reviewed August 20262 min read

Growing regions

Tanzania growing regions

Altitude and harvest timing are the two variables a sourcing decision turns on. Where two regions overlap they compete for the same milling and shipping slot; where they do not, a programme can be scheduled across them.

All Tanzania coffee

Region · altitude

Kagera1,000–1,500 m

Harvest windows and altitude bands for each growing area, drawn from the same figures shown in the region panels. Windows are typical and move with rainfall — where two regions overlap they compete for the same milling and shipping slot, and where they do not, a programme can be scheduled across them.

Kagera
Altitude
1,000–1,500 m
Harvest
May–August
Processing
Natural (dry-processed) · Washed (small volumes)
Species
Robusta · Arabica
Tanzania’s Robusta region, on the western shore of Lake Victoria. Predominantly dry-processed and traded on screen and defect specifications.Explore Kagera →

Availability

Current Tanzania Robusta

Availability moves with the harvest, with milling and with prior commitments. Everything here is confirmed against the current crop on enquiry.

All current availability

On contract

Tanzania · Kagera

Species: Robusta
Process: Natural (dry-processed)
Grade: Screen 15 up
Screen: 15+
Crop: 2025/26
Quantity: 2 × 40ft

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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.

A cupping table in use: two hands breaking the crust with cupping spoons across coded sample bowls. — Samples are cupped against the approved reference before a shipment is released.Photo: René Porter

Coffee Quality Control

Crop

Tanzania crop calendar

Flowering, harvest, processing, milling and the export window. Regional cycles differ, so this is not one universal season.

Full crop calendar

Southern highlands — Mbeya, Songwe, Mbinga (Arabica)

Crop year commonly quoted July–June

Stage

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Flowering

Cherry development

HarvestPeak July–September

Processing & drying

Dry milling & grading

Main export window

The southern belt harvests earlier than the north and supplies the larger share of Tanzanian Arabica volume.

Northern highlands — Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Meru (Arabica)

Crop year commonly quoted July–June

Stage

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Flowering

Cherry development

HarvestPeak August–October

Processing & drying

Dry milling & grading

Main export window

Higher altitudes on Kilimanjaro and Meru pick latest, extending the window into December.

Kagera (Robusta)

Crop year commonly quoted July–June

Stage

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Flowering

Cherry development

Harvest

Processing & drying

Dry milling & grading

Main export window

Kagera Robusta is predominantly dry-processed, so the drying phase dominates the processing window.

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

Filled jute sacks stacked in courses, each hand-stitched closed along the mouth, the weave and the seam running the width of the frame. — Filled and hand-stitched export sacks, stacked in courses.Photo: ideadad

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.

All origins

East African origins compared
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)

Harvest windows are typical for the origin as a whole and shift by region and with rainfall. Grade designations do not translate between origins — see the grade comparison.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Where is Robusta grown in Tanzania?

Principally in Kagera, on the western shore of Lake Victoria at 1,000–1,500 m, bordering Uganda. It sits in the same lake basin that makes Uganda a Robusta origin.

How is Tanzanian Robusta graded?

On screen retention and defect terms rather than through the Arabica auction grade ladder. Moisture, foreign matter and the black and broken tolerance carry the rest of the specification.

When is Kagera Robusta harvested?

Roughly May to August, with export from July into the following February — out of step with Tanzanian Arabica, which matters when combining both in one shipment.

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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.

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