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? How would the quality of their product increase—and thereby grow their incomes? Thanks to partnerships with TechnoServe and Nespresso, a group of farmers is finding out.
Opportunities and Obstacles to Coffee Farming 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 small-holder coffee farms in existence. After six years of training farmers, this number has grown to nearly 1,000 farms.
The program provided a stable livelihood for these women and men – but one critical piece remained. While their new harvests grew at a spectacular rate, farmers lacked the means to efficiently process their beans. 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 a huge amount of additional time and labor, an obstacle to producing the quality and quantity of beans necessary for a higher income.
The Coffee Pulper Project
Working with the Zimbabwe Coffee Mill (ZCM), a private farmer-owned business servicing coffee farmers, TechnoServe distributed coffee pulpers to 70 coffee 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 a farmer’s chances of producing export quality coffee that they can sell to international coffee companies like Nespresso. Compared to the local market, this gives coffee farmers in Zimbabwe a 45% income increase on each kilogram of coffee sold. Most of this money is paid in US dollars, not local currency, which is critical in a country with an annual inflation rate of over 400%.
Bringing pulpers to a coffee community makes it possible for additional farmers to improve their processing. Since farmers typically share resources with their neighbors, it is expected that 4-5 farming households will use the pulpers, 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.
Since May they have painstakingly processed their harvest by hand. It was an inefficient, labor-intensive process. “We processed some at the farm using a stone. It was slow and it was damaging my hands,” Lizzy recalls. They later resorted to carrying the beans in buckets to a group coffee pulper. The machine was located 4 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.
James beams, “We are very happy and we thank you so much. This will boost our business and make our life so much easier.” Lizzy adds, “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 look forward to receiving higher prices from producing high quality coffee. While their coffee would normally go for around $270 on the local Zimbabwe 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, earning 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 extra time on their hands, they will also have the capacity to explore other income opportunities such as producing vegetable crops. The bandwidth will also make it possible to spend more time with their five children, one of whom grows his own coffee trees.
The Museres’ pulper is expected to benefit at least five neighboring farms, who will now have a place to process their own 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
Susan and Milka Ndarira’s journey into coffee farming began with TechnoServe’s training program at the end of 2021. Widows of the same husband, the ladies joined the 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.
Susan’s farm, boasting 2,500 coffee trees, has already yielded 300 kg of green coffee beans, an impressive amount since her trees are not yet mature. Milka, managing a smaller plot of 600 trees, has harvested over 100 kg of beans, nearly completing her first harvest. But processing their coffee beans has been an arduous task. Before receiving the machine, the farmers initially relied on a pestle and mortar for about 40% of the harvest.
“It was really painful and very time-consuming. Separating the pulp was so slow. I could only process one bucket each a day,” Susan recalls. They began traveling to their neighbor’s pulper, but “it would take one hour to travel each way, and we sometimes had to wait our turn to use the pulper,” says Susan. Milka adds, “ I would arrive so tired. I would only carry one bucket of cherries at a time. We really struggled this year.”
The addition of a coffee pulper has been transformative for Susan and Milka. “This pulper will change my life. We are very happy; it will now be much quicker and easier to process our coffee,” said Susan. The pulper will also change the life of their neighbors, as Susan and Milka plan to give free access to five other farmers.
Susan wasted no time in putting the new equipment to use. “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!”
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 says.
With their increased income, the farmers plan to reinvest the money in their farms and loved ones. They will buy irrigation pipes and fertilizer, as well as food for their families. Susan also dreams of saving enough money to buy a car, to make transportation easier.
Expanding Opportunities
Looking ahead, the project is set to expand its reach and impact in 2025. It will extend its support to at least 200 new coffee households who 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 gain access to labor-saving technologies, we can expect to see more livelihoods improving, stronger communities, and a resurgence of Zimbabwe’s coffee on the global stage. The future of coffee farming in Zimbabwe looks brighter than ever, thanks to these collaborative efforts and the resilience of its farmers.
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