Africa-Press – Tanzania. LAST week Tanzania joined the global community to mark the International Coffee Day through the Kahawa Festival held in Moshi, Kilimanjaro Region.
Globally, the day is observed to cherish the beverage and promote fair coffee trade to make sure that farmers and all those involved in the value chain reap more benefits.
The idea of organizing the Kahawa Festival originated among the members of the Northern Zone Coffee stakeholders during their preparation meetings for the commemoration of the ICD that is celebrated every year on 1st October.
Kahawa Festival is envisioned to be a national coffee event that will attract both local and international participations whereby direct and indirect actors in the coffee value chain will meet and build network exchange knowledge, learn on new technologies, acquire solutions to sectors challenges, competitions refreshing as well as meeting potential buyers and sellers while enjoying a cup of coffee with different t and flavours.
The 2nd Kahawa Festival which was held from 1st October to 3rd October at Uhuru Park Grounds here in Moshi in the Kilimanjaro region had an element of both Cuppers and Barista Coffee Competitions.
These competitions witnessed a total of seventeen (17) participants drawn from various Coffee Estates, Coffee Exporters and Coffee Milers across the country competing in the Coffee Cuppers competition while four (4) participants were drawn from various Coffee Shops in Moshi competed in the Barista Coffee Competition.
Speaking at the event, Agriculture Minister Adolf Mkenda disclosed here that the government was keen to bolster the sector which has a significant contribution to the country’s economy. According to Prof Mkenda, the number of main coffee growing regions has increased to 17 from the initial nine, an indication that the sector would soar to greater heights.
“We are glad that there is more awareness on coffee growing around the country and the government will ensure that sector continues to contribute to the country’s economy,” he expounded.
The Minister further revealed that his docket has, in collaboration with the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), rolled out strategies that will ensure farmers are encouraged to cultivate more so that the national production target is met.
He equally challenged financial institutions to support the government and other coffee stakeholders by setting up programmes that would enable coffee farmers to produce the crop in large quantities.
Revealing this was the Head Judge for both these competitions Mr Ulrick Carl who works with the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) Liquoring Department who said this year competition was a bit tough.
According to him, the cupping competition was arranged in a way that six (6) groups having each three (3) cups of coffee among them two (2) being with coffee of similar grade and the remaining third cup having a different grade of coffee from the former two cups were all presented to the competitor who was tasked to determine which of the two cups in the six groups were similar and which of the third cup was not similar to the former two.
As for the Barista Coffee Competition, he said the criteria was how best the competitor can prepare and explain in detail to the drinker while observing the highest hygiene standards when preparing three different types of coffee cups naming them to be Cappuccino, Espresso and Signature types of cups of coffee ready to be served to the drinker.
He further said the Barista were judged on how best they can prepare the said three types of coffee cups hygienically and how best they can describe the said type of coffee to the drinker as to where it was grown, altitude and what the drinker should expect.
This Head Judge named Phillipina Saritha An Internship at City Coffee Company in Mbeya), Nice Mary Nnko and Sote Lucas both being Internships at TCB Liquoring Department as the three best cuppers.
As for the best three Baristas he named them to be Abdi Hamza Issa from Easycom Coffee Shop, Nabo Marenge from Kilimanjaro Star Coffee Shop and Daniel Z. Laizer from Kilihome Coffee Shop.
Kahawa Festival is an event organized with the aim of offering an opportunity to coffee lovers to together celebrating coffee and recognize the millions of people across Tanzania – from farmers millers, exporters, roasters, baristas, coffee shop owners and more – who work hard to create and serve beverage that the global loves dearly.
Coffee production in Tanzania is a significant aspect of its economy as it is Tanzania’s largest export crop.
Tanzanian coffee production averages between 30- 40,000 metric tons annually of which approximately 70 per cent is Arabica and 30 per cent is Robusta.
