Joseph Isangura
The Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, has announced sweeping changes to the coffee trade system in the country, aimed at benefiting farmers who have long been subjected to what he termed an exploitative structure.
The current system, according to the Minister, is contributing to the impoverishment of coffee farmers, and significant reforms are needed to address these challenges.
During his visit to the Mbinga District in the Ruvuma region on Friday, September 20, 2024, Minister Bashe declared the informal coffee trade, commonly referred to as “magoma,” illegal. He instructed local authorities to seize and confiscate any coffee purchased through this unauthorized trade method. This directive is seen as a firm step toward eliminating black-market practices that undermine formal trading channels.
The visit to Mbinga is part of a broader tour by Minister Bashe, who is inspecting various development projects under his ministry’s jurisdiction. His tour through the Ruvuma region comes just days ahead of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s anticipated visit, scheduled for Tuesday, September 24, 2024.
Speaking directly to farmers in the region, the Minister outlined that the planned changes in the coffee trade will introduce a digital marketplace, enabling farmers to access global markets. This new online platform is expected to foster competition among coffee buyers, allowing farmers to have greater control over pricing and decision-making in the sale of their produce. Such a transformation is aimed at reducing intermediaries, who are often blamed for squeezing the profits of farmers.
Minister Bashe emphasized that the reforms are set to benefit coffee farmers in Mbinga and Nyasa districts, as well as those in the Songwe and Kilimanjaro regions. These changes mirror the successes seen in similar initiatives in other regions of the country. “These reforms follow the positive results achieved after similar steps were taken in the sale of coffee in the Kagera region and cocoa farming in Kyela district, Mbeya region,” he noted.
The Minister’s announcement reflects a broader government strategy to enhance transparency, improve earnings for farmers, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. This comes at a time when the Tanzanian coffee industry is under scrutiny, with calls for modernization to ensure that local farmers are not left behind in the global marketplace.
Read More; Tanzanian Government Enhance Clean Cooking Initiative
For many farmers in the Ruvuma region, these changes signal hope for a future where they can reap the rewards of their labor without falling victim to exploitative practices. As the government prepares to roll out this new system, it remains to be seen how quickly these changes will take effect and what impact they will have on the livelihoods of coffee farmers across the country.
Minister Bashe’s efforts are part of a larger national push to revolutionize agricultural practices, ensuring that Tanzania’s farmers are empowered to compete globally while benefiting from the full value of their produce.
