A number of youths and women in the Mbeya District Council have expressed concerns over their inability to engage in coffee farming due to the lack of capital, land, and seeds.
They are calling on stakeholders to join them in overcoming these challenges and help them access the value chain of this strategic crop.
The farmers noted that the current lack of support discourages many young people from getting involved in coffee farming, leaving it mostly to the elderly.
Instead, the younger generation tends to opt for quicker income-generating activities such as motorcycle taxi (bodaboda) and tuk-tuk (bajaji) businesses.
The issues were raised during a coffee stakeholders’ forum held in Mbeya, organized by Envirocare, which brought together participants from the Coffee Board, financial institutions, cooperative societies (Amcos), Mbeya District Council, women and youth farmers, input suppliers, and coffee traders.
Boaz Mpenja, a resident and farmer from Isuto Ward in Mbeya, explained that coffee farming has historically been dominated by older people who typically owned larger pieces of land, unlike the younger generation and women, who lack access to such resources.
“Young people are not attracted to coffee farming because it takes time. Many prefer quicker income, so waiting two to three years for the coffee plants to mature is not appealing,” Mpenja explained.
“However, now there’s a change. Many youths see opportunities in coffee farming, but we still face challenges like a lack of land and capital to maintain farms. We request government and stakeholders’ support,” he added
David Mwanijembe, from Idiwili Village, agreed that older generations traditionally farmed coffee but were hesitant to transfer land to the youth, fearing they might sell it and move to urban areas. However, he noted that the perception is changing, as many young people are now interested in coffee farming.
“For example, from one acre of land, you can harvest up to 1,700 kilograms of coffee beans if you use quality seeds. At a market price of TZS 8,000 per kilogram, you could earn TZS 13.6 million. Personally, coffee farming has changed my life, and I take pride in it,” Mwanijembe said.
Amos Mbwambo, the project manager from Envirocare, said the organization is implementing a project to promote coffee farming among women and youths in Mbeya, Songwe, and Ruvuma regions, aiming to enhance the value chain of the coffee sector.
He added that aside from promoting coffee farming, they are also focusing on empowering women to use land resources to build their economic independence, addressing gender-based violence challenges.
Women groups have received training on coffee farming, and some have started owning coffee nurseries.
“We’re pleased that many young people now see the potential in coffee farming, although cultural barriers still hinder young women from owning land. However, we've made progress in raising awareness, and positive changes are evident. For men, they had access to land but were initially reluctant because coffee farming takes time,” Mbwambo said.
Gidion Mapunda, the Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries Officer from the Mbeya District Council, stated that coffee is a key crop for the district, with ten wards actively involved in its cultivation.
“Our district currently produces 3,000 tons of coffee annually. With the government's support in providing quality seedlings and continuous efforts by farmers, we expect production to increase further,” Mapunda said, adding that they aim to strengthen Amcos in the area to boost the coffee sector.