Kilimanjaro — COFFEE production in Tanzania has received a fresh impetus following introduction and launching of a coffee production curriculum for training agricultural extension officers.
Dubbed ‘the Tanzania National Coffee Sustainability’, the curriculum is to strengthen delivery of the extension services to smallholder farmers.
Speaking here on the weekend, Café Africa Operations Manager Mr Samora Mnyaonga said the curriculum will be used to train extension officers who will be responsible for providing education on coffee production to farmers.
He said the curriculum was prepared by Café Africa in collaboration with other coffee stakeholders including the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) and the Tanzania Coffee Association (TCA). The curriculum was launched by the Minister for Agriculture Mr Hussein Bashe during a stakeholders meeting held in Dodoma, recently.
“The curriculum will target public and private sector extension officers involved mostly in coffee production sector in all districts and regions in the country,” he said.
According to Mr Mnyaonga, curriculum is expected to strengthen the delivery of extension services to coffee farmers by supporting the national institutions in setting and maintaining minimum standards for delivering extension services to coffee farmers resulting in higher productivity, increased coffee quality and better livelihood for farmers.
He further disclosed that the curriculum features views of coffee stakeholders regarding changes and needs in the production and trade of coffee in the country and the world in general. He noted that it includes existence and balance of understanding among farmers as far as coffee production in the country is concerned.
TCB Director General Primus Kimaryo described the curriculum as a guide that will enable the country to produce coffee in abundance.
“The introduction of the curriculum is important, especially when putting into consideration the country’s projection of producing 300,000 tons of coffee by the year 2025,” he said.
Rolling out of the curriculum is an ongoing process that is supported by the Global Coffee Platform, which works in partnership with the Tanzanian stakeholders to support a more sustainable coffee sector.