Herkulu - Herkulu Tea Estate

Herkulu Tea Estate is situated in the West Usambara Mountains of the Lushoto District and is surrounded by villages that mostly depend on agriculture for their income. Of the estate's more than 600 hectares, which rest at an altitude of 5,000 ft, roughly 230 hectares are devoted only to tea. Herkulu does not use any artificial chemicals or fertilizers in production, and all operations to produce the tea are performed manually. Although the Herkulu Tea Estate's most important cash crops are coffee and tea, they also produce maize, bananas, maniok, and beans for domestic consumption. Herkulu has a reputation among smallholders as being very responsible as it pays regularly and on time. Though founded in 1961, Herkulu has been certified organic since April 2002.