Baristatus’ 2nd special coffee & 1st batch of Exotic Collection; Ilomba, Tanzania Fully Washed & roasted by Single O, Sydney, Australia! This Ilomba Fully washed AB is produced by smallholder farmers who deliver to Ilomba Best AMCOS (Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society). Operating in the Mbozi District in Southern Tanzania, Ilomba Best AMCOS was founded in 1997 as a farmer group. Since legendary Single O is not processing any coffee beans less than 88 Q Grade score as per SCA evaluation, this special lot could be named as an excellence category as well.

Ilomba Best AMCOS built Ilomba Factory (another term for a wet mill) in Ilomba Village in 2007 in Ilomba. The station sits on the steep slopes of the South Western highlands in Mbeya.

The group focuses on increasing value by processing cherry at a central wet mill, like Ilomba Factory. They plan to continue improving the quality of their processing techniques by building new fermentation tanks, offices and warehouses. They also accept cherry from farmers who are not members, helping all farmers increase their income by improving the quality – and ultimately, the value – of their coffees. In addition to growing coffee, farmers typically intercrop with corn, beans, groundnuts, sunflowers and ginger. They also grow a flower called the Pyrethrum Daisy, which many farmers use as a natural insecticide.

Farmers selectively handpick cherry and deliver it to Ilomba Factory. At intake, cherry is visually sorted and pulped in an eco-pulper. Coffee is wet fermented and then washed in clean water. Parchment is dried on raised beds. Workers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 14 days for parchment to dry.

Coffee’s roots in Tanzania can be traced via oral history back to the Haya tribe of Northwest Tanzania in the 16th century. That’s why Single O called this premium batch as IlombaHaya!