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Improve quality, broaden export...
2007-04-22 10:44:09
By Observer Correspondent, Mbeya
Coffee farmers in the country have been urged to improve the quality of coffee, if they want a reliable and larger export market of their produce.
Addressing the sixth coffee stakeholders` forum organized by the CRDB Bank here earlier this week, Primsy Kimaro from the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), said the board was working hard to secure markets for Tanzania coffee abroad, and said this was a challenge for the crop`s stakeholders to improve quality.
Kimaro also urged increased annual local coffee consumption from the current 1.5 tonnes to three tonnes by the year 2010 a development that would ensure a stable market for growers.
He gave an example of Ethiopia where he said annual local consumption stood at 40 tonnes.
The forum, an annual event organised by the CRDB Bank, drew participants from Kagera, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Ruvuma and Mbeya regions.
CRDB Bank reassured stakeholders of its total commitment in supporting the coffee industry in the country.
The bank`s deputy managing director, Jens Ole Pedersen, told participants that the bank had increased loans to coffee buyers from 5.3bn/- in 2001/2002 to 41bn/- in 2006/2007.
Coffee farmers, co-operative societies, cooperative unions and private coffee exporters, have also benefited from the bank`s loans.
TCB said it had secured entry into new coffee markets of Sweden, Italy, Turkey, Algeria, Russia and China, while strengthening traditional foreign markets of Germany, Japan, Belgium and the Netherlands.
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