Mzuzu coffee output surges
Mzuzu Coffee Planters Cooperative Union, producers of Mzuzu Coffee, says the crop’s production has surged from 90 tonnes to 450 tonnes per annum over the past decade, representing a 400 percent jump.
The company has since described 2011 as one of the best for coffee, owing to the stability of coffee prices on the world market.
The company’s chief executive officer Harrison Kalua said this in an interview over the weekend when Business News asked the union to explain its key achievements over the years.
Kalua, who touted Mzuzu Coffee as unique in the world, said the branding of the product has enabled their coffee to attract better prices on the international market of not less than $6 (about K1 002) per kilogramme.
He also said the company is not compromising on quality and continues to participate in all international coffee conferences as a way of marketing their product.
Kalua, who is Africa Coffee Association president, also said currently, coffee farmers are now well versed with modern coffee cultivation methods which he said could help Malawi diversify away from tobacco.
“The Greenbelt Initiative by government is a reality in Malawi, but it cannot work without the engagement of the private sector…here in Malawi, 30 000 tonnes of coffee is capable of generating about $240 million worth of forex,†he added.
Asked on the outlook of their coffee business in 2012 and beyond, Kalua said the company expects their business to be competitive, saying already, demand for their product is surpassing current supply.
Last year, Mzuzu Coffee scooped the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) Cupping of Taste of Harvest Coffees competition in Tokyo, Japan. The results showed that a sample from Mzuzu Coffee Planters Cooperative of Malawi received the highest score among competing coffees from Uganda, Burundi and Zambia.
