Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government has expressed its readiness to cooperate with coffee stakeholders in addressing various challenges facing the sector. Minister for Agriculture, Prof Adolf Mkenda said to start with, coffee stakeholders should deliberate on challenges facing the coffee sector and recommend suitable measures to address them.
Prof Mkenda made the remarks while officiating at the opening of the 11th National Coffee Stakeholders Meeting held recently in Dodoma.
Prof Mkenda highlighted the main challenges facing the coffee sector across the country as low productivity in terms of quality and quantities.
“The main challenge facing this sector is low productivity caused mainly by inadequate production and distribution to farmers of the new varieties of Arabica and Robusta coffee seedlings which gives higher yields per unit area” said the Minister, adding that much needs to be done to produce in masses the above seedlings later to be distributed to farmers for planting.
He detailed that for Arabica coffee, while production per tree stands at 600 grams, the same should be improved to reach 2 kilograms, and for Robusta while production per tree is 500 grams, the same should reach 1.5 kilograms.
On how to address this challenge, he said research institutions across the country, namely Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TaCRI) and University Colleges should continue doing researches on production and distribution to farmers of the new varieties of coffee seedlings.
“Extension officers are also a big challenge facing the development of not only the coffee sector but rather all cash crops inclusive of tea, cashew nut, cotton, sisal and even sunflower. Shortage of these experts, lack of transport and limited exposure to modern farming techniques are some of the challenges which need to be addressed,” he said.
He noted that his ministry had strived to minimize the challenge by increasing the budget for extension officers from 600m/- which is normally allocated per year to 11.5b/-.
Prof Mkenda added that extension officers in Dodoma, Singida and Simiyu regions will be provided with motor cycles together with monthly maintenance allowances to enable them reach many farmers in a month.
“Empowering of extension officers in Singida, Dodoma and Simiyu regions will be replicated into other regions in the near future “promised the minister. Naming another challenges facing the coffee sector, he said the irrigation department should strive to provide irrigation water to be used to produce the new varieties of coffee seedlings.
The minister also said value addition is also a challenge to those who have tried their level best to produce roasted coffee but do not have ready markets, calling on relevant authorities to link the said coffee roasters with international markets.
