CONTEXT

Coffee is the second highest valued agriculture export after tobacco in Tanzania.The economy of the country is mainly based on agriculture. And coffee is one of Tanzania’s primary agricultural export commodities. Over the past 30 years, it is accounting for about 5% of total exports value, and generating export earnings averaging USD 100 million per year. More than 90% of the countries output originates from small farmers rather than estates and provides employment to 400,00 families and affect more than 2.4 million citizens directly (10% of the population).But coffee is also among of the long stagnated industries under agricultural sector for last 15 years with average production in the range of 800,000 to 1,000,000 bags annually. Yields have continuously decreased and quality potential has not been fully exploited, thus contributing to low farm gate prices, and the development of rural poverty.Tanzania has a long tradition of coffee growing. It provides abundant land with appropriate altitude, temperature, rainfall and suitable soil for high quality arabica and robusta production.Tanzanian coffee production averages between 30-40,000 metric tons annually of which approximately 70% is Arabica and 30% is Robusta.