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Country profile

Tanzania coffee

Tanzania grows both species.

Washed arabica comes from the slopes of Kilimanjaro and Meru and the southern highlands of Mbeya and Ruvuma, from about 1,000 to 2,500 m; robusta comes from Kagera, and is close to half of the USDA's 2026/27 forecast. The southern arabica harvest runs from May to September and the northern one from July to November. Importers describe the washed arabica as juicy, acidic and complex.

INDIAN OCEAN DR CONGOKENYAMOZAMBIQUEUGANDAZAMBIA Kilimanjaro Arusha / Meru Mbeya Ruvuma Kagera
TanzaniaA detail from The Coffee Origins

At a glance

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  • Main harvest

Calendar shown: Arabica, south and north together

 meterssea level5001,0001,5002,0002,5002,5001,0003,280–8,200 ft
Harvest
May–Nov (arabica)Café Imports' calendar: southern arabica May–September, northern arabica July–November. Sucafina's 2026 handbook gives May–September in the south and June–October in the north. Robusta follows a separate calendar.Calendar from Café Imports, checked October 2026. Compared with Sucafina's 2026 handbook.
Altitude
1,000–2,500 m (3,280–8,200 ft)Robusta: 800–1,100 m (2,620–3,610 ft) · Kagera / Karagwe sourcing band (Sucafina)National training manual Arabica growing range.Band from Tanzania Coffee Board.
Production
1.6 million 60 kg bags (2026/27 forecast)USDA Foreign Agricultural Service forecast, published July 2026.
Varieties
Bourbon, Kent, Arusha, Blue Mountain, Robusta KR selections
Processing
Washed, NaturalThe usual methods; individual lots vary (see the lots below).
Regions
Kilimanjaro, Arusha / Meru, Mbeya, Ruvuma, Kagera
Often described as
juicy, acidic, complex

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How its coffees are described

Importers usually describe Tanzania's coffees as juicy, acidic, complex. These describe washed arabica; Kagera's robusta would need its own profile. These are tendencies, not a promise about a particular bag.

All 3 lots, as roasters described them (winter 2026)

Lots are seasonal: this is a record of how roasters described these coffees in early 2026, not a list of what's in stock.

LotRoasterProcessRoastRoaster's notes
ROCKET SUMMER - TanzaniaDark Arts CoffeeWashedLightrhubarb, red currant, digestive biscuit
Acacia Hills, GeshaFive Senses CoffeeWashedLightcreamy peach, makrut lime, jasmine
Acacia Hills, WashedFive Senses CoffeeWashedMedium-darkorange chocolate, light fudge, caramel

Read more

Brew it

Single origins show their character best brewed clean. The Brew Guide starts you on a V60; if the cup comes out sour or bitter, Fix My Coffee finds the one change to make. Brewing Constellations shows how other brewers change the cup.

The nearest country pages

Kenya · Burundi · Rwanda · Ethiopia

Sources