| DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION OF COFFEE GROWING AREAS |
| MZUZU COFFEE is grown by Smallholder Farmers
from the following areas with features and characteristics that contribute
to the high quality of this popular product: |
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| Misuku Hills in Chitipa District |
The area is located close to
Songwe River which forms natural boundary between Malawi
and Tanzania. It is made up of 4 parallel ridges and
plateau ranging between 1700 and 2000 metres above sea
level. The area is almost 320km away from Mzuzu City,
the Commercial and Administrative headquarters for Northern
Malawi. |
| The soils for coffee growing areas
are Dystic Nitosols found in the sloping sites and convex
narrow ridges and Humid Nitosols found in the lower Valley
slopes. The soils of Misuku Hills have more quantities
of weathering parent material, and are acidic, brown or
dark reddish brown clays or sandy loams. |
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| The climate in Misuku is very suitable for Arabica
Coffee growing. Maximum temperature recorded since 1983 was 21.9 degrees
Celcius in November and absolute minimum 9.9 degrees Celcius in June
at Mwalingo, with an altitude of 1600m above sea level. The annual
rainfall ranges from 1500mm to 2000mm and falls between November to
April with continued showers up to June / July. Large amount of cloud
cover between November and July delay production of new canopy, early
season flowering and fruit drop. |
| The area produces the best coffee in the country
and coffee from this area fetches premium prices. The area produces
50 - 60% of all the Coffee marketed by Smallholder Coffee Farmers
Trust. Forty eight percent (48%) of all Coffee growers come from this
area. |
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| Phoka Hills in Rumphi District |
The area is located to the eastern
part of Nyika National Park (eastern face of Nyika escarpment).
It is to the Western Part of Livingstonia plateau and
it is 145km from Mzuzu. The area is dominated by high
Nyika Plateau, which rises to 2500m above sea level.
Coffee is generally grown in these areas ranging from
1200m t 2500m above sea level. The Nchenachena area
has altitude of 1300m while at Livingstonia, the altitude
is 1500m above sea level. |
| The soils of this escarpment are
the best in the Coffee growing areas of the North. These
are formed on the Karros beds and are as acidic as those
formed on the basement due to natural leaching. |
| The average rainfall at Nchenachena
and Livingstonia is 1760mmm and 1806mm respectively. The
Northern and western parts normally receive more rains
than the rest of the areas. The mean annual temperature
ranges between 16 - 19 degrees Celsius with a mean monthly
range of about 7 degrees Celsius, in July the coldest
month and November which is the hottest month. |
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| The area produces high quality Coffee especially
growers from Chakaka, Mphachi, Salawe, Junju and Vunguvungu areas.
The area produces 14% of all the Coffee marketed
by the Trust while the number of growers is estimated at 14% of all
growers. The total hectarage under coffee is at 125, giving coffee
holding size of 0.27ha per grower. |
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| Viphya North in Rumphi District |
| Viphya North areas is occupying part of North
Viphya Plateau separated from Nkhata Bay Highlands by deep valley
of Lizunkhumi River. The general altitude range between 1200 - 1500m
above sea level. In some places this rises to 1800m above sea level.
It is located 80km from Mzuzu City. |
| The soils are deep and are acidic red clays
or clay loams/ sand clays, Eutric Nitosols with moderate drainage. |
| The annual rainfall ranges between 1500mm to
1800mm and higher rainfall occurs in the higher parts of surrounding
Uzumala Reserve. The mean annual temperature ranges between 15 to
18 degrees Celsius. The mean monthly range is about 7 degrees Celsius,
with July being the coldest month and November being the hottest month.
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| About 11% of Coffee marketed come from
this area which is 7 % of all the Coffee Growers forming the Trust.
The total Coffee hectarage is at 77 representing 0.32ha per grower. |
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| South East Mzimba in Mzimba District |
| It is located on the Southern part of South
Viphya Plateau. It is 190km away from Mzuzu City. It occupies the
upper valley of Luwelezi, Rukuru and Rupashe River systems. |
| The general altitude ranges between 1200m and
1300m with some areas rising to 1700m above sea level. Coffee growing
in this area is confined to soils that are deep, and fine textured,
dusty and clays and clay loams formed from the cordorite gneisses. |
| Rainfall is high in Msese and Kapita areas where
coffee growing is concentrated. The annual rainfall ranges between
900 and 1400mm. |
| The area produces 13% of all the coffee marketed
by the Trust in 2000. About 11% of all Coffee growers come from this
area. The total coffee hectarage is 78 and coffee holding per grower
is at 0.20ha. |
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| Nkhata Bay Highlands in Nkhata Bay District |
| The area includes localities to the South West
and South East of Mzuzu City on the Southern end of Viphya Plateau.
The altitude for this area range between 950m to 1300m raising to
2000m above sea level in other areas. Mzuzu City lies on a saddle
at 1280m between the North and South Viphya Plateau. |
| Coffee cultivation is carried out on soils that
are deep, acidic sandy clays to acidic sandy clay loams. |
| Rainfall can occur at anytime of the year and
temperatures in cold season (June - August) can fall to freezing point.
The annual rainfall range is between 1300 to 2300mm while minimum
temperatures recorded at Mzuzu Airport, altitude 1255m range from
0 degrees Celcius in June /July to 32.7 degrees Celsius in October.
These temperatures have given rise to "hot and Cold" symptoms
on coffee bushes exposed to cold winds and lacking shade. The coffee
farmers have the necessary technologies to make coffee survive in
this environment. |
| Only 4% of all the coffee marketed come
from this area. Currently, the area has 10% of all coffee growers.
The total coffee hectarage is at 33 with coffee holding size of 0.1ha
per grower. |
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