Tanzania Coffee Industry Development Strategy 2020 – 2025.

This Coffee Industry Development Strategy is a 5-year subsectoral document that updates the previous Strategy covering the period 2011 - 2021. The overall goal of the new Strategy is to fast-track the performance of the coffee sector so that its contribution to the income of farmers and other actors along the value chain and the economy at large is felt more significantly. Its main objectives are (i) increase coffee production, from 68,000 MT to 300,000 MT by 2025; (ii) improve coffee quality and value addition, through the promotion of good agronomic practices and improved processing technologies; (iii) enhance market access to regional and international markets and promote Tanzanian coffee worldwide; (iv) increase domestic consumption establishing competitive coffee selling points and change consumer preferences; (v) empower women and youth encouraging their participation in the coffee value chain; (vi) improve business environment through a semplification process of the Regulations, establishing a one-stop coffee business licensing center, and integrating multisectoral and regional frameworks (EAC, SADC, COMESA & AGOA).
The document outlines several key strategies to achieve its objectives, including (i) increase coffee production and productivity by (a) developing and promoting improved coffee varieties with high yielding and drought-tolerant potential, (b) expanding and establishing new coffee farms in both traditionally grown and new open areas, (c) improving access to and use of agricultural inputs, including introducing subsidies for inputs used in coffee production and marketing; (ii) improve coffee quality and value addition (a) promoting good agronomic practices among smallholder farmers, (b) utilizing improved processing technologies along the value chain, (c) strengthening the use of primary processing factories and equipment for coffee processing; (iii) enhance market access by (a) improving business networks along local and international coffee value chains, (b) promoting the uniqueness of Tanzanian coffee worldwide, (c) improving coffee marketing systems; (iv) increase domestic consumption, (a) establishing affordable and competitive coffee selling points, (b) changing consumer preferences in terms of taste, health, and behavior, (c) promote coffee market research and development processing and value addition technologies.
An effective coffee industry system requires streamlined coordination and management through three levels of Stakeholder Councils (National, Regional, and District) for planning, regulation, monitoring, and evaluation, involving key actors such as the Ministry of Agriculture, the Tanzania Coffee Board, farmers, and the private sector. These councils will provide feedback, review the implementation of strategies, and meet quarterly, ensuring that information flows from the district to national levels. Various institutional arrangements, including growers, traders, and research institutes, will drive Strategy implementation, focusing on improved practices, value chain efficiency, and a supportive environment.