USDA forecasts 7.1% surge in Tanzania’s coffee production in MY 2023/24 

TANZANIA – A recent report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has forecasted a 7.1 percent increase in Tanzania’s coffee production for the marketing year (MY) 2023/24.  

The report anticipates production will rise to 1.5 million bags, up from 1.4 million bags in the previous year, driven by favorable weather conditions and the maturation of rehabilitated plantations. 

According to the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), by November 2023, 13 million improved seedlings had already been distributed to farmers.  

The TCB has set ambitious plans to distribute 25 million seedlings by the end of 2025. This initiative is part of the government’s strategy to focus on rehabilitating existing coffee farms rather than opening new ones or repurposing existing plots. The harvested area is expected to remain stable at 265,000 hectares. 

Tanzania is a significant producer of Arabica coffee, accounting for an average of 60.9 percent of the country’s coffee production. Along with Colombia and Kenya, Tanzania is one of the main producers of Colombian Mild Arabica coffee, contributing approximately 6 percent to the global production of this coffee type.  

About 90 percent of Tanzania’s coffee comes from around 320,000 smallholder farmers, with the remainder produced by about one hundred large farms. 

Despite the increase in production, the USDA forecasts that domestic coffee consumption in MY 2024/25 will remain flat at 77,000 bags, with stable demand from the tourism and restaurant sectors. 

In April, the TCB announced a new strategy aiming to boost coffee bean production from the current 81,000 tons to 300,000 tons by the 2025/26 harvesting season. This strategy focuses on enhancing the quality of coffee beans to secure better prices in international markets.  

As part of the strategy, TCB Director General Primus Kimaryo emphasized the importance of imparting recommended agronomic practices and proper fertilizer use to coffee growers across the country. 

Kimaryo highlighted the distribution of 71 million improved seedlings over the past five years, with an annual production rate of 20 million seedlings.  

To further increase productivity, the TCB plans to improve access to quality fertilizers and provide training on rehabilitating coffee plantations by replacing old plants with improved ones.