A Burden Lifted: How Coffee Pulpers Are Transforming Zimbabwe’s Farming Future
What if coffee farmers in Zimbabwe could process their beans in less time with less effort? Would this increase the quality of their product and, thereby, their income? Thanks to partnerships with TechnoServe and Nespresso, a group of farmers is finding out.
The Challenges Facing Coffee Farmers in Zimbabwe
Since 2018, TechnoServe has worked with Nespresso to train coffee farmers in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. Coffee farming in Zimbabwe was previously a viable livelihood. However, at that time, the coffee industry in Zimbabwe was crashing, with only an estimated 300 smallholder coffee farms in existence. After six years of training farmers, this number has grown to nearly 1,000 farms.
The women and men earned a stable livelihood with support from the program – but one critical piece remained. While their new harvests grew at a spectacular rate, farmers lacked the means to process their beans efficiently. Without a pulper machine (which removes the pulp from the bean), farmers must either pound the beans with a mortar and pestle or carry the beans in buckets to a shared coffee pulper. This final production process requires considerable additional time and labor, an obstacle to producing the quality and quantity of beans necessary for a higher income.
How Coffee Farming Is Being Revived in Zimbabwe
Working with the Zimbabwe Coffee Mill (ZCM), a private farmer-owned business servicing coffee farmers, TechnoServe distributed coffee pulpers to 70 farmers in Zimbabwe. Now, with a simple turn of a wheel, an entire day’s harvest can be processed in less than one hour – reducing the time by roughly 80%. Using a pulper also increases farmers’ chances of producing export-quality coffee that they can sell to international coffee companies like Nespresso. This gives coffee farmers in Zimbabwe a 45% income increase on each kilogram of coffee sold compared to the local market. Most of this money is paid in U.S. dollars, not local currency, which is critical in a country with an annual inflation rate of over 400%.
Bringing pulpers to a coffee community allows additional farmers to improve their processing. Since farmers typically share resources with their neighbors, 4-5 farming households are expected to use each pulper, ultimately impacting as many as 350 farmers.
A Brighter Future for the Musere Family
The pulper machines have already made a huge difference for James and Lizzy Musere, who are witnessing a transformation in their coffee farming journey. The couple joined TechnoServe’s training program in 2022 and planted their first 500 coffee trees. After two years of hard work, they are finally seeing the fruits of their labor, though there is still work to be done.
Before receiving their pulper, Lizzy and James painstakingly processed their harvest by hand. It was an inefficient, labor-intensive process. “We processed some at the farm using a stone,” Lizzy recalled. “It was slow, and it was damaging my hands.” They later resorted to carrying the beans in buckets to a group coffee pulper. The machine was located four kilometers away, a strenuous twice-weekly journey lasting an hour each way. But after receiving their new coffee-pulper, the game has changed. The machine has transformed their lives.
“We are very happy, and we thank you so much,” James beamed. “This will boost our business and make our life so much easier.” Lizzy added, “I am very relieved of carrying cherries all the way to the group pulper.”
The couple has already processed their coffee beans this year and looks forward to receiving higher prices for producing high-quality coffee. While their coffee would typically go for around $270 on the local coffee market, they will now earn an estimated $400 from the export market. As their coffee trees mature over the coming years, Lizzy and James expect to produce much higher yields. They expect to earn as much as $2,000 in export sales, compared to the $1,400 they would make on Zimbabwe’s local market.
This extra income will provide new opportunities for the couple. Lizzy and James plan to save their earnings to invest in more property and livestock. With the additional time they save, they will also be able to explore other income opportunities, such as producing vegetable crops. The bandwidth will also allow them to spend more time with their five children, one of whom grows coffee trees.
The Museres’ pulper is expected to benefit at least five neighboring farms, which will now have a place to process their beans. They explain how their success is causing a domino effect in their community, saying, “There are many farmers who want to grow coffee now.”
A New Beginning for Susan and Milka
For Susan and Milka Ndarira, their journey into coffee farming is allowing them to build a secure future. Widows of the same husband, the women joined the TechnoServe program to develop a stable livelihood. After three years of hard work, they are finally reaping their first harvest, a milestone marking a new chapter in their lives.
The farmers have reaped a successful first harvest and expect even greater returns in the future. Since their coffee trees are young, Susan and Milka anticipate a significant growth in production over the coming years. The coffee pulper will enable them to keep up with their successful crops.
“I am seeing a lot of flowering now for next year. [Without the pulper], I would not have been able to manage next year when I harvest much more coffee,” Susan explained. “I started to use it as soon as I received the pulper 10 days ago. I have already used it twice. It is very easy to use and very light to operate. I am so relieved. It is a burden lifted off my shoulders – literally!”
With their increased income, Susan and Milka plan to reinvest the money in their farms and loved ones. They will buy irrigation pipes, fertilizer, and food for their families. Susan also dreams of saving enough money to buy a car to make transportation easier.
Expanding Opportunities
The project is set to expand its reach and impact in 2025. It will extend its support to at least 200 new coffee households that have recently begun planting coffee. ZCM will also reinvest the funds repaid by farmers from the pulper credit scheme to purchase additional pulping machines. These will be provided to farmers under the same two- to three-year credit scheme, ensuring sustainable growth and continued access to technology. Plans are also underway to establish a local agent for the pulper company in Mutare, the regional center. This will allow farmers to purchase pulpers within the country, improving accessibility and potentially reducing costs.
As more farmers access labor-saving technologies, we can expect to see improved livelihoods, stronger communities, and a resurgence of Zimbabwe’s coffee on the global stage. Thanks to these collaborative efforts and the resilience of its farmers, the future of coffee farming in Zimbabwe looks brighter than ever.
