Coffee accounts for about 20% of Tanzania’s foreign exchange earnings and has been the mainstay of the country’s agriculture-based economy since its introduction as a cash crop around 100 years ago. More than 450,000 farm families (95%) and 110 estates (5%) derive their livelihoods from growing coffee with an estimated 2,000,000 additional people employed being directly or indirectly in the industry. Coffee production is concentrated in five main geographic areas of Tanzania, in the north (Kilimanjaro, Arusha & Tarime), in the west (Kigoma & Kagera) and south (Songwe, Mbeya, Iringa and Ruvuma).
Arabica coffee is a traditional cash crop in Mbozi district communities, in Songwe region since independence.
The Managing Director grew in a coffee farming family, where he was groomed and practically trained on good coffee farming practices.
Problem solved by Jagrin Agriculture Co. Ltd:
Coffee is Tanzania’s largest export crop. The East African nation produces less than 1 percent of the world’s Arabic coffee, but the industry employs about 2.4 million people in Tanzania and several millions in neighboring countries. However, since 1966, coffee production has dropped by 46 percent in Tanzania – a trend research predicts is likely to continue due to various reasons including: climate change, falling world coffee prices, aging coffee farms, application of poor farming practices, and rural urban migration. Average productivity per each coffee plant in Tanzania is less than 0.5Kg as compared to an average of 2.5kg in Brazil.
Arabica coffee at harvest stage in July 2016
Our solution
At Jagrin, we are determined to be part of pioneers of revamping and increasing coffee production in Tanzania for expanding the country’s market share through improvements in both productivity and quality.
Our current practice:
We have 8 acres of Arabica coffee farms with 6,700 plants, where we are applying best coffee farming practices to get the fine coffee for selling through Hasambo Amcos. Currently, our cooperative union, Hasambo, has a direct sales contract with Taylor Winch Limited, a multinational coffee buying Company.
Modernisation Plan
Increasing our production capacity for each coffee plant to produce at least 3kgs of parchment coffee, leading to 20 tons per annum from our existing farms.