A coffee table proposes a new loan system to increase yields

TCB Director General Kajiru Kisenge made this revelation recently by informing Deputy Minister of Agriculture Mary Mwanjelwa of the activities of the council. The Deputy Minister visited TCB to observe various activities of the Board of Directors.

Kisenge explained that the new loan system is ready and that they are waiting for the government's approval to implement it. He insisted that the goal of the coffee board is to start using the new system during the 2018/2019 fiscal year.

Under the new lending system, farmers will receive, among other things, fertilizer through a special arrangement. by agricultural cooperative societies. He said that this decision would increase the productivity of the cash crop that accounts for about 20 percent of Tanzania's foreign exchange earnings and has been the mainstay of the country's agricultural economy since its introduction as a cash crop there. is about 100 years old.

"Fertilizer is one of the essential components of coffee growing, and we will ensure its availability and accessibility throughout the year," said the Director General. 19659002] Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mary Mwanjelwa, congratulated the TCB for improving coffee production and implementing government guidelines, and said that the current system that will soon be replaced was inefficient because farmers were receiving subsidized fertilizer, hence the decline in coffee production

"Coffee production declined every year due to a lack of agricultural inputs. The deputy minister said the lack of fertilizer has led to lower yields, with farmers currently harvesting less than 400 grams of coffee per tree compared to those using fertilizer that harvests between 1,200 and 1,500 grams. . TCB's coffee production in 2012/13 was 36,190 tonnes, compared to 21,817 tonnes produced in 2013/14 and 15,600 tonnes produced in 2014/15.

Coffee was first introduced to the Kagera region by Catholic Missionaries in 1898. More than 450,000 farm families (95 percent) and 110 estates (5 percent) derive their means livelihood with about 2,000,000 additional people employed directly or indirectly in the industry.