African Fine Coffees Review Special Edition Oct-Dec - EAFCA

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It was therefore no surprise that the smallholder schemes in the
north were expanded upon in the 1950s by the government of
the time, with specific emphasis on support to the smallholders.
This led to an encouraging interest in the crop by these
smallholders and inevitably led to the formation of several
coffee co-operatives, the first such co-operative being named the
‘Ntchenachena Coffee Growers Co-operative Society’ based in
Rhumpi in 1950, followed by the ‘Misuku Coffee Growers Cooperative
Society’ in Chitipa later in 1957 (Chirwa et al, 2007).
In the interim, Nyasaland was to undergo further political
transformation and the ‘Federation of Rhodesia & Nyasaland’
(also called ‘Central African Federation’) was created in 1953
and included the joining of Northern Rhodesia (Zambia),
Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Nyasaland (Malawi) into
one federal realm under the British Crown (en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/HistoryofMalawi/7).
By 1960 production had increased to “200 tons of parchment
coffee” of which around 65% was grown by smallholders. Whilst
these figures are a drop in comparison to prior historical figures
it was a vast improvement of the level experienced up until 1945.
During 1960 it is recorded that 2,840 smallholder growers were
farming over 1,130 acres of coffee.
The prevailing government of the time raised further seedlings
to produce a further 250 acres of smallholder grown coffee,
whilst the southern plantations were recorded to have grown
nearly 1,000 acres of coffee. During 1960 most of the coffee
was young and as yet not bearing (Kettlewell, R.W., 1965).
Regrettably world coffee prices (as mentioned above) plummeted
to unprecedented levels and by 1960 were on average fetching
just above 32 USC per lb.
The world coffee prices would have a major impact on
the future production of coffee in the country and as one
commentator, R.W. Kettlewell, reporting on coffee at the time
put it: “despite the importance of new varieties, considerable
investigational work, and much encouragement, the future (of
coffee production) seemed still to hang in the balance in 1960”
(Kettlewell, R.W., 1965).
All along reservations had been held by the government over the
suitability of coffee as a crop for the country and it was still felt
that the climate was unsuitable or “at best climatic conditions
were marginal for coffee” with the long dry season between
annual rains. Nonetheless efforts continued despite these
drawbacks and the outbreak of the fungal disease, Fusarium
Bark Disease also known as Fusarium lateritum (Kettlewell,
R.W., 1965).
In the meantime, the political landscape of this small landlocked
country was about to change again, as the complicated
federation struggled to co-exist. It is said that the federation was
beleaguered from the start and ultimately political differences
led to its’ demise and subsequent disbandment in 1963, when
Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia became independent of
British rule (flagspot.net/flags/frn.html).
This overlapped with the bottoming out of world coffee prices,
and the resultant establishment of the first International Coffee
Agreement in 1962, which would bring about welcome stability
in world coffee prices after the volatile and variable post war
period (www.ico.org/history.asp) . With the country
gaining independence in 1964 and becoming ‘Malawi’,
coffee was to remain on the map as it were and still does
to this day! However, the next stage of evolution in
coffee production from Independence to present day –
will be the subject of our next installation aptly named
“Its’ all in the genes.”
Reference List: Books, Journals & Reports
Chirwa et al, 2007. Reforming the Smallholder Coffee
Sector in Malawi: A Case Study of Smallholder
Commercialisation.
Chisholm, H, 1911. Encyclopaedia Britannica (11th
Edition). London, Cambridge University Press.
Kettlewell, R.W., 1965. Agricultural Change in
Nyasaland, 1945 – 1960. Food Research Institute,
Stanford University.
Ukers, W.H., 1922. All About Coffee. New York, The Tea
& Coffee Trade Journal Company.
Colonial Reports – Annual No. 619, 1909. Nyasaland
1908 -1909. London, Darling & Son Ltd.
Colonial Reports – Annual No. 655, 1910. Nyasaland
1909 – 1910. London, Darling & Son Ltd.
Colonial Reports – Annual No.955, 1917. Nyasaland
1916 – 1917. London, His Majesty’s Stationery Office.
Colonial Reports – Annual No.996, 1919. Nyasaland
1917 – 1918. London, His Majesty’s Stationery Office.
Colonial Reports – Annual No.1041, 1919. Nyasaland
1918 – 1919. London, His Majesty’s Stationery Office.
Colonial Reports – Annual No.1445, 1929. Nyasaland
Report for 1928. London, His Majesty’s Stationery
Office.
Colonial Reports – Annual No.1665, 1933. Nyasaland
1935: Annual Report on the Social and Economic
Progress of the People of Nyasaland, 1933. London, His
Majesty’s Stationery Office.
Colonial Reports – Annual No.1776, 1935. Nyasaland
1935: Annual Report on the Social and Economic
Progress of the People of Nyasaland, 1935. London, His
Majesty’s Stationery Office.
Reference List: Electronic sources
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History of Malawi: 3.6 European
explorers, missionaries and traders; 4 British Central
African Protectorate; 5 Nyasaland; 7 The Federation of
Rhodesia and Nyasaland; 9 Malawian Independence.
Flagspot.net/flags/frn.html
www.ico.org/history.asp
At the bottom put;
About The Heart Warming Cup from the
Warm Heart of Africa
In this blog, our correspondents report
on the developments within the Malawian
coffee industry.This blog takes its name
from the beaming smiles and genuine,
disarming warmth extended to anyone
that has the pleasure of visiting Malawi.
Written by Robin Saunders for the Coffee
Association of Malawi