WAKULIMA wa Mara Cooperative Union (WAMACU) is now reviving coffee farming in Tarime district and other coffee-growing areas in Mara region as well as the Lake Zone regions.
The union has made second payment amounting to 113m/- to coffee farmers in the previous season, a move which has largely encouraged many farmers to resume coffee production, especially in Tarime district.
“We bought coffee at 1,200/- per kilogram from farmers and after selling and made profit we paid the same farmers an additional 400/- per kilogram in second payment”, WAMACU General Manager Mr Samwel Gisiboye told the ‘Daily News’ in Tarime early this week.
He added: “We have given the second payment because our aim is to help farmers through their primary cooperative societies (AMCOS)”, Mr Gisiboye said.
He also said currently WAMACU buys the crop on cash at high prices, something which has triggered competition among private coffee buyers.
Private buyers do not give second payment to farmers, according to him.
“We are now buying coffee on cash at 1,600/- per kg and WAMACU will continue doing everything possible to make coffee farmers happy “, Mr Gisiboye assured.
He said WAMACU has secured a loan from Tanzania Agriculture Development Bank (TADB) amounting to 980m/- to buy coffee and support coffee production.
“We have already received 550m/- of the total loan approved by the TADB,” he said.
Meanwhile WAMACU Mr Gisiboye said the union has spent over 100m/- on production and distribution of improved coffee seedlings in an effort to boost coffee production in the region.
Tarime remains the leading producer of Arabica coffee in the region.