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The Direct General for the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), Primus Kimaryo presents a report over the sector's performance during the 13th edition of the Tanzania Coffee Stakeholders Meeting which convened in Dodoma Capital City over the weekend. |
By Valentine Oforo, Dodoma
THE Tanzania's coffee sector has successfully managed to register a significant development in a period of five years, with markets and the prices for the economic cash crop continuing to stabilize.
In a period from 2020/21 to 2025/26 harvesting season, the coffee production has improved from 66,837 tons to 82,491 tons, according to the Director General (DG) of the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), Primus Kimaryo.
He said the thriving of at least 23.4 percent in the production of the economic tree crop was a major milestone, given the fact that Tanzania has never recorded such impressive development in the sector since the country’s independence.
The Director unveiled the vital statistics in his speech during the 13th edition of the Tanzania Coffee Stakeholders Meeting which convened in Dodoma Capital City.
Giving further successes, Kimaryo detailed that production of coffee seedlings has also witnessed a satisfying upward trend, the key development which enabled the farmers to scale up their production levels.
During the 2019/2020 season, he said, production of the coffee seedlings was at 7,059,836 whereby in 2020/21 the number increased to 11, 388,474 seedlings.
"Due to the existed mutual understanding understanding and working cooperation between TCB and the seed institutes from the public and private sector, during 2021/23 and 2022/23 seasons the seedlings production catapulted from 14,116,173 to 17,866,980 respectively, " the TCB's chief boss unveiled.
In recent years, he observed, the government through the Ministry of Agriculture has worked to strengthen coffee markets systems and prices, the development which has resulted in an increase in the prices of the crop among the growers at the local markets from 1,300/- per Kg from 2022/2022 season to 2,000/-.
Despite the encouraging development, Kimaryo however expressed that several handicaps were cripping the sector from growing at needed pace.
He itemised the challenges as poor adoption of needed agronomic practices among most of the coffee growers as well as failure to apply proper fertilizers, among others.
"Severe effects of climate change are also affecting the smooth metamorphosis of the sector, but also, some of the farmers are maintaining oldest coffee plants in their farms, leading to poor yields," he noted.
To help contain the challenges, the DG said the board, in cooperation with other stakeholders, was planning to implement a series of helpful strategies.
"Plans are a foot to embark on a robust program for the production of more than 20 million coffee seedlings to satisfy farmer’s demand and enable them to further expand their production scopes," he said.
Together with that, he added that the board will soon start to execute a special program to impart the extension officers with knowledge over the recommended practices in growing the crop, being efforts to improve extension services to the farmers across the country.
"I would like to extend our sincere appreciation for the patriotic manner in which we have been receiving support from the development partners, farmers cooperative unions, and the research institutes to strengthen extension services to the coffee farmers, " he appreciated.
Tanzania stands among the best coffee producers in the world, producing one of the best coffee varieties in the world like Colombian Mild.
Among the countries that often go for the Tanzania's coffee, and their purchasing levels in the brackets include USA (5 percent), Morocco (5pc), South Africa (3pc), Sweden (2pc), Russia (2pc), Italy (13pc), Belgium (8pc), Germany (13pc), and Japan 29 pc, to mention but a few.
During the meeting which attracted potential coffee stakeholders across the country, TCB awarded President Samia Suluhu Hassan for standing at forefront to result in major changes in the country’s coffee sector.
Apart from the president, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe were also awarded for their positive contribution towards the economic sector.
The annually –staged colorful event, also seen the Ngara Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union, the Aviv Coffee Plantation, whereby the Moshi Council –based agricultural extension officer, Ms. Vaileth Kisanga pockerted at least 5m/-from Minister Bashe, being a special award for her outstanding performance in the side
“We have set a sustainable program to annually awarding leaders and other key players who will perform well in their daily duties and efforts to spur performance of the sector,” DG Kimaryo unveiled.
Tanzania Coffee Board is a government organ established by the Tanzania Coffee Industry Act No. 23 of 2001. Its main function is to regulate the coffee industry in Tanzania and advise the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania on all matters related to the growing, processing and marketing of coffee within and outside the country.
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The Direct General for the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), Primus Kimaryo presents a report over the sector's performance during the 13th edition of the Tanzania Coffee Stakeholders Meeting which convened in Dodoma Capital City over the weekend. |
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