AvailableSpecialty
Tanzania · Kilimanjaro
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed
- Grade
- AB
- Screen
- 15/16
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 2 × 20ft
Citrus · Dark chocolate · Black tea
Tanzania · Grade
Tanzania AB Green Coffee
AB is where most Tanzanian Arabica volume actually sits, and where most of the practical buying gets done.
- Species
- Arabica · Robusta
- Preparation
- Fully washed · Natural
- Harvest
- June–October in the south; July–December in the north
Quick answer
Tanzania AB is the A (screen 17) and B (screen 16) separations combined, and it is normally the largest single block in an outturn. Because it comes from the same cherry and processing as the AA alongside it, it is frequently the best value on a cup-per-dollar basis.
Contract on: region · grade · screen · process · crop · moisture · defect tolerance · cup approval.
Request current tanzania ab green coffeeA combination, not a size
AB is assembled, AA is separated
Unlike AA, which names a single screen block, AB is the A and B fractions blended back together. Its screen distribution therefore depends on how the mill ran the separation, which is why an AB specification benefits from a stated screen range and a permitted percentage passing rather than the grade name alone.
- Basis
- Combined size separations A (screen 17) and B (screen 16)
- Screen
- Approximately 16–17
- Position
- The largest single block in a typical outturn
- Species / process
- Arabica, fully washed
- Regions
- Produced across both belts
Why it is usually the better buy
AB and AA come from the same cherry, picked on the same day, fermented in the same tank and dried on the same beds. Everything that determines cup quality is identical. The only difference is bean width — which matters to roast uniformity and to nothing else.
Because AA attracts a differential based on scarcity of the size class, and AB does not, the price gap between them is usually larger than the cup gap. For a blend component or a volume single origin, AB is frequently the more sensible purchase. Cup them side by side from the same pulpery before deciding.
Where AB fits
- Volume single origin — enough available to support a continuous offering.
- Blend base — southern AB in particular contributes sweetness and body without imposing acidity.
- Programme supply — the block is large enough to contract across a season.
- Value specialty — a well-separated AB from a good pulpery cups well above its price.
Specifying Tanzania AB
- Region
- North or south, and the specific area
- Screen
- Stated range with a permitted percentage passing — do not rely on the grade name
- Defects
- Maximum full defects per 300 g
- Moisture
- Range plus method
- Crop year
- Explicit
- Cup
- Approved sample, and a governing sample if buying a programme
- Packaging
- 60 kg jute
Tanzania AB enquiries
Tell us the region, volume and shipment pattern. AB supports programme contracts across a season.
Request Current Crop OfferLast reviewed 2 min read
The distinction that matters
What this grade does not tell you
A grade is a preparation class. Everything below is a separate contract field, and every one of them moves independently of the grade name.
What it does fix
Tanzania AB Green Coffee encodes
- Bean size, as the screen the parcel is retained on
- Bean shape, where peaberry is separated from the flat-bean run
- Density, for the TT separation lifted off the AA/A/B run
- That the parcel met the preparation standard of a named grade
Use the grade to define the physical deliverable. Use the approved sample to define the cup. Both belong in the contract.
What it does not
Specify these separately
- Cup qualityTwo lots at the same grade from the same mill can cup several points apart. Only cupping tells you.
- Defect countA separate count on a defined sample, against a weighting table that differs by origin.
- MoistureA range plus the measurement method. Two meters on one parcel routinely disagree.
- Crop yearNothing in a grade name distinguishes current crop from a parcel that has been in store a year.
- DensityBulk density in g/L, which drives charge temperature and roast planning.
- Water activityStorage stability. Related to moisture but not derivable from it.
- TraceabilityCountry, station or day lot are different claims. A grade fixes none of them.
- Processing methodWashed, natural and honey can all carry the same grade at most origins.
Availability
Current Tanzania AB Green Coffee
Availability moves with the harvest, with milling and with prior commitments. Everything here is confirmed against the current crop on enquiry.
AvailableSpecialty
Tanzania · Mbeya & Songwe
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed
- Grade
- AA
- Screen
- 18+
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 1 × 20ft
Blackcurrant · Cocoa nib · Brown sugar
LimitedSpecialty
Tanzania · Mbinga & Ruvuma
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed
- Grade
- PB
- Screen
- PB 13/14
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 120 bags
Red apple · Molasses · Almond
On contract
Tanzania · Kagera
- Species
- Robusta
- Process
- Natural (dry-processed)
- Grade
- Screen 15 up
- Screen
- 15+
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 2 × 40ft
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
Crop
Tanzania crop calendar
Flowering, harvest, processing, milling and the export window. Regional cycles differ, so this is not one universal season.
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
- Flowering: Sep–Nov
- Cherry development: Nov–May
- Harvest: Jun–Oct. Peak July–September
- Processing & drying: Jun–Nov
- Dry milling & grading: Aug–Jan
- Main export window: Aug–May
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
- Flowering: Oct–Dec
- Cherry development: Dec–Jun
- Harvest: Jul–Dec. Peak August–October
- Processing & drying: Jul–Jan
- Dry milling & grading: Sep–Mar
- Main export window: Sep–Jun
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
- Flowering: Sep–Nov and Mar–Apr
- Cherry development: Nov–Apr
- Harvest: May–Aug
- Processing & drying: May–Sep
- Dry milling & grading: Jul–Nov
- Main export window: Jul–Feb
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
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 is Tanzania AB coffee?
The combined A (screen 17) and B (screen 16) size separations from a washed Tanzanian Arabica outturn. It is normally the largest single block in an outturn and the practical volume grade.
Is AB lower quality than AA?
No. Both come from the same cherry and the same processing and differ only in bean width. AA attracts a higher differential because the size class is scarcer, not because the coffee is better.
Why should I state a screen range for AB?
Because AB is an assembled block rather than a single screen separation, so its actual distribution depends on how the mill ran it. A stated range with a permitted percentage passing makes the term enforceable.
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.