A new coffee production curriculum in Tanzania is giving coffee farming the much-needed boost. The curriculum, called the ‘Tanzania National Coffee Sustainability’ curriculum, aims to strengthen the extension services provided to smallholder farmers.
The curriculum will help to improve the quality and quantity of coffee produced in Tanzania. It will also help to increase the income of smallholder farmers, which will in turn have a positive impact on the national economy.
Speaking at a weekend event, the Operations Manager of Café Africa, Mr. Samora Mnyaonga, said that the curriculum will be used to train extension officers who will then provide education on coffee production to farmers.
The curriculum was developed by Café Africa in partnership with other coffee stakeholders, including the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) and the Tanzania Coffee Association (TCA). The curriculum was officially launched by the Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Hussein Bashe, at a recent stakeholder meeting held in Dodoma.
According to Mr. Mnyaonga, the curriculum is expected to improve the delivery of extension services to coffee farmers by supporting national institutions in establishing and maintaining minimum standards for the provision of extension services to coffee farmers. This will lead to increased productivity, higher coffee quality, and improved livelihoods for farmers.
The curriculum also incorporates the perspectives of coffee stakeholders on the changing needs of the coffee industry in Tanzania and the world at large. It includes a balanced understanding among farmers of the coffee production landscape in the country.
The Director General of the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), Mr. Primus Kimaryo, described the curriculum as a guide that will help the country produce more coffee.
“The introduction of the curriculum is an important step, especially considering the country’s goal of producing 300,000 tons of coffee by 2025,” he said.
The rollout of the curriculum is an ongoing process that is supported by the Global Coffee Platform, which is working with Tanzanian stakeholders to support a more sustainable coffee sector.
