Tanzania - Ataka
Farm: Itaka Quality Coffee Group
Type: Kent, Bourbon & other local varieties
Treatment: Thoroughly washed and sun-dried on beds
Altitude: 1620 meters above sea level
Owner: A group of owners
City: Mbozi, Songwe
Region: Mbeya
Country: Tanzania
Additional information:
When the Ataka Group was formed in 2006, it consisted of 14 small-scale farmers. This number has since grown to 24, but it remains small with limited production. Most of these farmers inherited their farms from their parents and still use traditional coffee processing methods. Nevertheless, the group works together to improve the quality of their coffee so they can sell it at a price competitive with the global market.
To achieve this, they face numerous challenges, starting with acquiring sufficient information about coffee. Despite this, they strive to participate in educational programs that will help them reach their goal, although this remains difficult. The challenges for this group increase when they encounter adverse weather conditions that weaken the coffee trees and make them susceptible to disease. Currently, the group lacks irrigation equipment, making them entirely dependent on rainfall, which poses a risk as the rains are sometimes delayed or insufficient.
