Kilimanjaro — TANZANIA Coffee Board (TCB) is targeting to increase coffee production in the northern zone this season by doubling seeds distribution outreach.
The Board in 2022/23 projects to double the distribution of coffee seedlings, amounting to two million in the zone's cultivating regions.
The project, according to the TCB Northern Zone Coffee Development Officer, Mr Saidi Ng'ombo, aims to almost push coffee production from currently 6,000 and 8,000 tonnes to 15,000 tonnes by 2025/2026 season.
"So far, the board distributed 487,895 coffee seedlings to the five regions of the northern regions," Mr Ng'ombo said at an event to distribute 10,000 seedlings to farmers of the Moshi-based Kimasio Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society, in Kilimanjaro on Tuesday.
The regions to be benefited are Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Manyara and Tanga as well as Morogoro. The regions fall under the TCB mapping as the northern zone.
Mr Ng'ombo said in order to achieve their goals, they collaborate with Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TaCRI) and agricultural marketing cooperative societies in the northern regions.
"The board is determined to ensure that the northern zone returns to its former glory as the main coffee producers in the country," he said.
The coffee development officer said the zone lost its status which was disrupted in recent years due to various reasons including climate change challenges.
He said that apart from distributing the seedlings to the farmers, TCB will also continue with other efforts which could act as catalysts in producing more coffee in the zone.
"The activities include providing education to farmers on how to produce quality coffee and of the highest grades including to use the right fertilisers which is very important for the new type of coffee seedlings", Mr Ng'ombo said.
The major Arabica coffee growing regions are Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya and Ruvuma Robusta is mainly produced in the Kagera Region. Other Arabica coffee-growing regions include Kigoma, Iringa, Tanga, Morogoro, Manyara, Rukwa, Mwanza and Mara.
