State-run Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) said it would distribute three million Robusta coffee seedlings to farmers free of charge to boost cash crop production.

Priscus Kimaryo, the acting director-general of TCB, said all preparations for the distribution of the seedlings had been made.

He noted that the seedlings would be distributed to coffee growers in the Kagera region, northwest of the country.

“The distribution of the Robusta coffee seedlings will be launched next week in Karenge village in Kyerwa district,” said Mr Kimaryo, stressing that the main reason behind the seedlings free of charge was to boost the production of the cash crop.

Coffee is grown in 17 regions of Tanzania’s mainland.

According to the TCB statistics, coffee production in Tanzania in the past years averaged 50,000 tonnes annually. But efforts made by the government resulted in an increase in coffee production to 73,022 tonnes in the 2020/2021 coffee harvesting season.

Kagera region leads in the production of Robusta coffee, which accounts for 30 per cent to 40 per cent of all the coffee produced countrywide.

Ruvuma and Songwe regions also lead with Arabica coffee production accounting for 44 per cent of all the coffee produced in the country. 

(Xinhua/NAN)