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TaCRI PRESENTATION TO THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, WATER AND LIVESTOCK

The Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TaCRI) was invited by a Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Water and Livestock to present a report on its activities. The meeting was held at Karimjee (Parliament Offices), Dar es Salaam on 19th January 2009.

The Chief Executive Director of TaCRI, Prof. James Teri, delivered a presentation which highlighted TaCRI's achievements and major priorities for the 2008-2013 period. Prof. Teri said, TaCRI is doing well in developing appropriate coffee technologies and is also faring well in ensuring that these technologies reach the farmers. As a result, there are already recorded impacts on the ground to include; increased coffee quality from average of class 17 to 9 in 2005 to average of class 7 to 4 during the 2007 coffee season, and increased coffee productivity and production which rose from an average of 45,000MT to 50,000MT. In his presentation, he insisted that the technologies to improve the Tanzania coffee sector and increase competitive advantage of Tanzania coffee in the world market are there, but the challenge ahead is to ensure these technologies reach farmers.

The presentation also highlighted other challenges of improving the Tanzania coffee industry, which include: affordability of central pulperies by smallholder farmers and urged the government to look on the possibility to remove VAT on central pulperies; and motivation of young generation to produce coffee. To download full presentation click here