Baseline Assessment for the Coffee Project under the Pathways to Prosperity Program Tanzania: Final Baseline Report
Tanzanian coffee farmers in the P2P area produce little per tree (1.69 kg/tree) and lose about 16% of the harvest before picking, mainly to disease. Men own most coffee land, while women and youth provide much of the unpaid labour.
Overview
AfriDev Economic Consulting carried out this baseline for Solidaridad ECA's P2P coffee project, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Songwe, Songea (Ruvuma) and Mbeya regions of Tanzania. Published in May 2023, it covers stakeholder, problem and gender analysis along the coffee value chain, from inputs and production through processing, curing, roasting, marketing and domestic consumption. It also proposes project indicators. Farmer figures refer to the 2022 season and are broken down by sex and by age group (18-35 vs above 35).
Key findings
- Farmers had an average of 2.85 acres under coffee: 3.18 acres for male and 1.60 acres for female farmers. Average productivity was 1.69 kg/tree (female 1.93, male 1.63; aged 18-35: 2.29, above 35: 1.42) and 902 kg of cherry per acre.
- Disease (76%) and pests (36%) were the main production challenges. Pre-harvest losses averaged 443 kg, or 16% of the harvest, in 2022 (male farmers 18%, female 10%).
- Average net income from coffee in 2022 was TZS 1,726,276 (female TZS 1,149,652; male TZS 1,881,243). About 41% of gross revenue went on production costs, with fertiliser (58%) and harvesting (22%) the largest costs.
- Of farmers reporting credit problems, 88% cited delayed disbursement (93% among farmers aged 18-35). High fertiliser cost affected 63% of farmers.
- About 54% of farmers reported being affected by climate change (female 60%). Mulching (90%), manure application (72%) and shade trees (70%) were the most common soil, water and climate-smart practices.
- At work sites, 19% of farmers had access to no safety facilities and only 7% had first-aid kits. 94% had used at least one item of PPE.
- Women and youth supply up to 75% of manual labour, while men own about 95% of coffee farms. Women in male-headed households had no control over coffee farms, compared with 90% of women heading households. About 90% of the organisations visited were led by men.
In figures
1.93 kg per tree
1.63 kg per tree
2.29 kg per tree
1.42 kg per tree
Data table
| Item | kg per tree |
|---|---|
| Female farmers | 1.93 |
| Male farmers | 1.63 |
| Farmers aged 18-35 | 2.29 |
| Farmers above 35 | 1.42 |
76 % of farmers
63 % of farmers
36 % of farmers
Data table
| Item | % of farmers |
|---|---|
| Disease | 76 |
| High fertiliser cost | 63 |
| Pests | 36 |
Recommendations
- Build AMCOS capacity to give farm-level advice by training agronomists, lead farmers and trainers of trainers. Train government and AMCOS extension staff as 'Plant Doctors' and set up 'Plant Clinics'.
- Support AMCOS to set up coffee and shade-tree nurseries and demonstration farms. Train farmers to convert old trees to improved, disease-resistant varieties.
- Promote climate-smart and circular coffee farming, and water-saving washing technology (demucilagers). Link farmers to buyers offering incentives for climate services such as carbon credits.
- Train AMCOS staff in processing and quality management, repair existing primary processing facilities, and have curing companies share quality reports with farmers and AMCOS.
- Advocate for stable, predictable coffee policy and regulation, and tax incentives for cottage, women-led and youth-led coffee businesses. Digitise AMCOS processes and improve AMCOS governance and accountability.
- Promote domestic coffee consumption, especially among young people, to cushion farmers against global price swings.
- Make the value chain gender-sensitive: schedule training to suit women, youth and differently abled persons, ensure fair wages and safe working conditions, and increase women's representation in cooperative leadership.
Methodology
Mixed-methods design: a structured face-to-face survey of 203 randomly sampled coffee farmers (160 male, 43 female), KIIs with 14 stakeholders, FGDs with farmers and cooperative officials, and a desk review. Quantitative data were analysed in Stata and qualitative data thematically in NVivo.