Kilimo Kwanza :Tanzania Coffee Output to Rise by 50pc in 2015

By ADAM IHUCHA --Coffee production in Tanzania could rise, as much as 52 percent this year compared to the last year’s outputs, thanks to more rain in regions where the bean is grown.

Recently, Tanzania Metrological Agency (TMA) reported that sufficient rainfall is expected over the northern part, lake Victoria basin and the Southern parts of the country for the period of March-May 2015.

Indeed, experts say the ongoing heavy rainfall in all coffee-growing regions is supporting good bean formation and development.

The crop is grown in Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Mara regions in the north, Kigoma and Kagera in the west, as well as Mbeya, Iringa and Ruvuma in southern highlands.

Tanzania, the Africa's fourth-largest coffee producer after Ethiopia, Uganda and Cote I ‘devoir, could see annual crop outputs rise to 61,000 tons, up from 40,000 tons of 2014.

The state-run-Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), said that the expected 61,000 tons harvest is below the 80,000 tons of coffee spelled in the Tanzanian Coffee Industry Development Strategy.

Mr Adolph Kumburu, Director General of TCB said that coffee diseases and issues related to pesticides importation as well as registration are the factors behind the mess.

The Coffee Industry Development Strategy aims to increase Tanzania coffee production from the present average of 40,000 tons to at least 80,000 tons by 2016 and reach 100,000 tons by 2021.

Increased production will be reached through improvement of productivity, suppressing unnecessary intermediaries and diminishing transaction costs.

In this way by 2021 farmers should receive at least 75 percent of coffee free on board (FOB) price.

The envisaged increase shall go hand in hand with an increase in quality from the current 35 per cent premium coffee to at least 70 per cent of the total national coffee production.

It is estimated that the progressive replacement of old coffee trees with improved varieties, together with the application of good agricultural practices (including stumping, pruning, weeding, mulching, fertilizing) would allow to increase by plus 100 percent the average yields from the current level of 225 kgs of clean coffee per hectare to the figure of 450 kgs in 2021.

Tanzania mainly produces Arabica and Robusta coffee. Prices of the country’s Arabica normally attract the New York market while those of Robusta take their route to London.
The country boasts of having 4.8 million hectares of land suitable for coffee farming of which only 200,000 ha, nearly 35 per cent is utilized.
The industry players say Tanzania has not fully utilized its huge market potential compared to other countries producing the coveted Colombian mild Arabica coffee and the Bukoba’s Robusta.
Over 95 per cent of Tanzania's coffee is exported. The country’s standards are not only high, but also the intricate system of international market policies and commodity prices are also dictated.
The industry provides direct income to more than 400,000 farmer households thus supporting the livelihoods of an estimated 2.4 million individuals.

A total of 10,000 hectares expected to be planted by both small holders and large-scale investors by 2021, which means at least 1,000 hectares per year from 2011.

This replanting, intensifying, and expansion strategy would go hand in gloves with Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TaCRI ) seedlings multiplication program whereby, about 20 million seedlings would be availed annually on this period.

However, Mr Kumburu also cited smuggling of coffee could be one of the stumbling blocs to realize the national coffee export target.

One-third of annual Kagera's 10,000 metric tonnes of coffee, the black gold -- is being drained away by smuggling.

Intelligence sources say the smugglers are known to be well-off people with a large cross-border syndicate operating between Tanzania and Uganda.

The crop illegally exported to Uganda, where the country repackages and re-exports the produce.

Robusta and natural Arabica coffees grown in Kagera region, account for 25 percent of some 40,000 metric tonnes of Tanzania's annual coffee output.

Despite vast opportunities, including large tracts of volcanic soils suitable for high quality coffee farming, Tanzania’s production of coffee stagnated at 40,000 metric tonnes a year over the last three decades, generating export earnings averaging $100 million per annum.

Bukoba is now considered one of the world's top qualities Robusta, they added.