MINISTER for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Mwigulu Nchemba, has advised Kagera Region farmers to replace old coffee trees with improved varieties that are resistant to Coffee Wilt Disease (CWD).
He noted that coffee production is low
because of lack of motivation to invest in inputs and improved crop
husbandry, which in turn has affected the quality and yields.
Minister Nchemba, who accompanied Prime
Minister Kassim Majaliwa during his three-day tour in the region, said
that the government in collaboration with the Tanzania Coffee Board
(TCB) and other stakeholders is working out modalities to ensure that
coffee exports fetch the required prices in an effort to motivate
farmers.
He assured the farmers that the
government is finalising plans to establish a Crops’ Stabilization Fund
(CSF) to enable them to enjoy their sweat.
According to the minister, Tanzania
produced an average of one million bags of coffee per year compared to
Vietnam (30 million) and Brazil (50 million).
He also urged Tanzanians to take
immediate steps and ensure they benefit from the agricultural sector by
processing its agricultural products.
Coffee accounts for about 20 per cent of
Tanzania’s foreign exchange earnings and has been the mainstay of the
country’s agriculture-based economy since its introduction as a cash
crop a century ago.
Coffee was firstly introduced in Kagera Region by Catholic Missionaries in 1898
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