The Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TaCRI) has recently made a groundbreaking announcement, revealing the development of four new drought-resistant coffee varieties. These new Arabica coffee varieties hold great promise for coffee farmers across Tanzania, offering a potential solution to the challenges posed by climate change and drought conditions.
The seeds of these newly-discovered coffee varieties are set to be made available to farmers during the upcoming 2023/24 cultivation season, according to Nuhu Aman, an agronomist with TaCRI. This development is part of ongoing efforts to enhance coffee productivity in the region and reduce the vulnerability of coffee crops to the adverse effects of climate change. "Drought-resistant varieties have been developed with the aim of mitigating the impact of climate change on coffee production," explained Mr. Aman during a recent press conference.
These new coffee varieties are currently undergoing certification by the Tanzania Official Certification Institute (Tosci). Once certified, they will be distributed to coffee farmers in regions most affected by drought conditions, offering a ray of hope to those who have long grappled with the challenges of insufficient rainfall.
TaCRI, in recent years, has already introduced 23 improved coffee varieties, designed not only to withstand drought but also to combat various diseases that can plague coffee crops. Mr. Aman reassured coffee growers in drought-prone areas that the introduction of these new varieties should help alleviate concerns about reduced yields, providing more resilience to the changing climate.
In addition to the introduction of drought-resistant coffee varieties, experts at TaCRI also emphasized the importance of soil fertility for boosting coffee productivity, as coffee is one of Tanzania's leading export crops. Epafra Mosi, a laboratory expert at TaCRI, lamented that many farmers were unaware of the significance of soil fertility, often resulting in poor harvests due to the neglect of recommended fertilizers. He pointed out that soil fertility has been steadily declining in many coffee-growing regions due to inadequate agronomic practices.
Local coffee farmers, like Monica Matemu from Rombo District in Kilimanjaro Region, welcomed the news of these new coffee varieties, seeing it as a relief from their ongoing struggles. Shortages of essential inputs such as fertilizers have exacerbated their difficulties. For decades, Tanzania's coffee production has hovered around 50,000 tonnes annually, with brief peaks reaching 60,000 tonnes. However, recent reforms in the coffee sector have led to a significant uptick in production, with a record 85,000 tonnes produced last year, according to the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB).
The increase in coffee production can be attributed to improved productivity, quality control measures, and other reforms. The trend has been on the rise since the 2019/2020 season when output reached 1.25 million bags, surging to 1.35 million bags in the 2020/2021 season. Tanzania, with a total coffee farming land area of 265,000 hectares, has seen a boost in coffee production due to domestic reforms and growing international demand. The majority of coffee produced in the country is Arabica coffee, grown using various farm systems, including pure stand/smallholder, intercropped with other crops, and estate coffee production. This promising trajectory in coffee production bodes well for the country's economy and its coffee-farming communities.