THE Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) is implementing a strategy seeking to heighten production of coffee beans from the currently 81,000 tons to a total of 300,000 tons by 2025/26 harvesting season.
The strategy aimed to stabilize the country’s position in the international coffee markets through increasing quality in the production of the coffee beans in order to attract satisfying prices.
The strategy was unveiled by Primus Kimaryo, the TCB Director General (DG) during his remarks at the 14th General Meeting 2014 of the coffee stakeholders in Tanzania, convened in Dodoma Capital City.
Held under the theme of ‘Proper Application of Fertilizer Is Opportunity to Improve Productivity in Coffee Production in Tanzania’, the timely forum attracted potential stakeholders, including agro –researchers from varies coffee institutions, processors and leaders from numerous coffee –related Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies (AMCOS).
Among others, the gathering was tailored to provide a crucial podium to the attended members to delve on varies agendas meant to improve general performance of the vital sector.
Itemizing the meaningful priorities set to be executed by the state-owned Board in the envisaged 2025/26 growing-harvesting seasons, Kimaryo unveiled that plans are to increase production and productivity in the coffee beans.
“Moreover, the vision is to ensure the local coffee beans being produced is of high quality to the enable attracting improved prices, but also, stabilizing the country’s position in the international markets,” he expressed.
Giving further concern, he added that there are several strategies to improve and standardize condition in coffee doing business in Tanzania.
Kimaryo detailed that production in the crop has maintained impressive growth between 2017/18 to date, due to concerted efforts by the Board to produce improved seedlings.
“Our targets, however is to continue cooperating with the Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TACRI) to conduct thorough research on improved seeds and fertilizers, as well as disease and pesticide management” he added.
As part of the strategy, he said the coffee growers in all growing parts in the country will be imparted with recommended agronomic practices and proper use of fertilizers.
“In the period of five years we managed to produce and made available to the farmers in the country a total of 71million seedlings of improved seeds, and our annual production rate stand at a total of 20million seedlings” he informed.
To ensure for increased productivity, he revealed that the goal is to improve accessibility and availability of improved fertilizer towards the coffee farmers across the country, training the farmers on how to rehabilitate coffee plantations through uprooting the old plants and replace them with the fresh and improved ones.
“There are useful plans also to embark on a constructive strategy to venture onto the wide irrigation schemes initiatives in order to boost production,” Kimaryo expounded.
And he added, TCB has already picked and placed agriculture officer to assist the farmers in each of the coffee growing areas, together with a total of 51 coffee inspectors, being crucial strategy to stimulate performance of the economic cash crop.
Currently, the Board is working to elevate the country’s local coffee consumption from the currently 7 percent to at least 15 percent.
Despite topping the East and Central Africa (EAC) countries for harboring many processing industries and value addition for the instant coffees, it’s a grim revelation that the country lags behind when it comes to coffee consumption.
"The impeccable coffee consumption record in the country is currently stands at between 5 to 7percent, the percentage low in comparison to the country’s coffee growing status," Kimaryo informed.
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