Burka Coffee Estate was founded in 1899 by German settlers just outside the town of Arusha in Northern Tanzania. The neighbouring Selian Estate was established in 1910 and acquired by Burka in 1991. The first coffee trees were planted in 1918 and now number some 1.3 million mostly shade-grown varietals. 314 acres are reserved for forests and a further 250 acres to natural grasslands. There are around 200 permanent staff at Burka, a further 200 casual daily staff and up to 5,000 temporary staff involved in the picking and sorting at the height of harvest season. All permanent staff are provided with housing on the Estates with salary set at least 20% above minimum government requirements.
Staff have social security and Labour Union membership included in their contracts, and an Estate credit union also offer loans and advice for education, health and house construction. Each estate has its own nursery which educates over 100 children, and two primary schools also cater for over 600 children, from the Estate workers and the neighbouring communities. An onsite health centre with Estate nurse and dispensary is available for all staff, and the Estate has its own ambulance, along with shops, sport facilities and churches and a mosque. Regular inter-Estate and inter-camp football & netball matches occur, along with staff BBQ’s and other holiday celebrations. Workers are supplied with free firewood from stumped coffee trees, fruit & nut trees are grown around the staff villages.
The staff at Burka have a combined wealth of agronomic experience and over the course of many decades the estates have built a reputation for consistent production of fine arabica coffees characterised by mild acidity with flavours of lemon, chocolate & caramel.
Origin
Tanzania
Subregion
Arusha
Harvest Season
2024/25
Producer Type
Single Estate
Farm Name
Burka Estate
Processing
Washed
Growing Altitude
1350m - 1500m
Plant Species
Arabica
Variety
Blue Mountain, Kent, KP423, N39, Red Bourbon
Coffee Grade
TZA CA FW AB SC 15+
Screen Size
15 Up
Bag Weight
60 KG BAG
Bag Types
Grain Pro / Ecotact
Conservation
Dedicated conservationists sit on the Burka Estates board to uphold the legacy of the estates and ecology of the local biome. From the maintenance of Burka Forest and the restoration of Burka Hill, Burka Estate is faithful to its ecological roots.
One of the last and certainly the largest indigenous forests in Arusha, Burka Forest holds the natural spring which first gave Burka its name over 100 years ago. The preservation of these forests has led to a dramatic increase in the diversity and wealth of wildlife in this area. Everything from Dik Diks, to the Madagascar Squacco Heron, to Velvet monkeys, to the last baboon colony in the area; enjoys the protection of Burka’s strict conservation policies, along with over 120 species of bird, attracted by the local flora and natural grassland and forest areas. The Estate trains dedicated wildlife wardens to protect and conserve this wildlife.
The Process
Ripe cherries delivered to mill within 6 hours of picking, where cherries are graded, sorted, and then fed through a Pinhalense de-mucilage machine, before being placed into soaking tanks. Mondul has a natural spring which supplies the wet mill, which is then recirculated before disposal into seepage pits. Waste cherry pulp is mixed with worms to produce organic fertiliser, which is then re-used on the estates.
Parchment is then sorted and thoroughly rinsed in washing channels, and placed onto raised African drying tables. The drying period generally lasts for up to 7 days, until moisture level reaches 12% or lower, with regular turning, particularly in the first 48 hours to ensure even rates of drying. Parchment is transported to Moshi for milling and bagging, and then to Dar Es Salaam for export.
Burka has its own cupping lab on site, and samples of each day’s lot from Mondul are cupped and assessed for quality.
SubregionArusha
Farm NameBurka Estate
Producer TypeSingle Estate
ProcessingWashed
Bag TypesGrain Pro / Ecotact
Plant SpeciesArabica
VarietyBlue Mountain, Kent, KP423, N39, Red Bourbon
