Plans are underway to set up several small coffees processing factories in Tarime District, Mara Region, according to the Wakulima Mara Cooperative Union (WAMACU). About 1,2bn/- will be spent to establish the factories in several primary cooperative societies (AMCOS).
"Our target is to establish coffee processing factories in AMCOS starting early next year," WAMACU General Manager, Mr. Samwel Gisiboye told the 'Daily News' in Tarime yesterday. Tanzania Agriculture Development Bank (TADB) will provide the money to establish the coffee processing factories, according to him. He named AMCOS that are lined up to establish the factories as Kema, Gorong'a, Kangariani, Itiryo, Muriba, Mbogi,Nyakonga and Nyandurumo/Nkongore. He said, the bigger factory will cost of about 400m/-.
Arabica coffee which is widely grown in Tarime is reportedly attracting overseas markets, thus creating potential economic opportunities to farmers in the area. Tarime remains the leading producer of Arabica coffee in the Mara region. WAMACU is currently working on a number ambitious plans aimed at reviving coffee farming in the Lake Zone region in-collaboration with several partners including Tanzania Coffee Research Institute(TaCRI), Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) and TADB.
Recently, the union made a second payment amounting to 113m/- to coffee farmers in the previous season, a move which has encouraged many farmers to resume coffee production. "We collected coffee at 1,200 per kilo and after selling and made a profit we paid the same farmers an additional of 400m/-for every kilo as second payment," the WAMACU General Manager said in a press briefing last week.
He added: "We have given the second payment because our aim is to help farmers through primary cooperative societies (AMCOS)," Mr. Gisiboye said. He also said currently, WAMACU is buying coffee on cash money at a high price which has trigged competition from private coffee buyers. "We are now buying coffee in cash at 1,600 per kilo and WAMACU will continue doing everything possible makes coffee farmers happy," Mr. Gisiboye said
He said WAMACU has secured a loan amounting to 980m/-, to buy coffee and support coffee production from TADB. "We have already received 550m/- of the money out of the 980m/- approved by TADB," he said. Mr. Gisiboye said further that WAMACU has spent over 100m/- on production and distribution of improved coffee seedlings to farmers in an effort to expand coffee production in the region.