Tanzania sees coffee, sugar output up in 2006-07

Tanzania expects its coffee output to rise by 65 percent to 55,000 tonnes in the 2006/07 crop year from 33,334 tonnes the previous year, boosted by better crop husbandry, the government said.
The east African country also expects its sugar cane production to increase by 19 percent in the 2006/07 crop year to 312,000 tonnes from 263,000 the previous year, helped by the expansion of plantations and increased use of irrigation.
Agriculture Minister Joseph Mungai, in a speech to parliament made available on Thursday, said better seedlings and improved farming methods would aid the country's coffee production.
"The ministry will encourage farmers to form groups and co-operatives so that it is easier to teach them how to use higher yielding seedlings, better coffee farming methods and how to increase the area under coffee cultivation," Mungai said.
Tanzania grows both Arabica and robusta coffee.
Small-scale farmers around Lake Victoria and Mount Kilimanjaro in northern, southern and western Tanzania produce about 80 percent of the country's coffee.
The minister said Tanzania's sugar companies were boosting cane production, which would account for the 19 percent rise.
"The strategy of achieving that level is to increase the area under irrigation in plantations in Kagera Sugar Factory and expanding plantations in Mtibwa and TPC factories," he said.
Mungai added that Kilombero Sugar Company, majority-owned by South Africa's Illovo, was expanding its capacity.
The country plans to raise its annual cane production to 567,000 tonnes by 2010. Mungai said Tanzania would require 9.73 million tonnes of food during the year, but that he expected the country to produce 10.73 million tonnes.
Tanzania was hit by drought from late 2005 to early this year. Subsequent food shortages affected 3.7 million people.
Agriculture is the main source of livelihood of more than half of the 37 million strong population, most of whom cultivate farms smaller than two hectares.
Between 30 and 40 percent of the country's produce is destroyed while in the fields by disease, pests and poor care, Mungai said.
He added that farmers used too little fertiliser on their fields - about 8 kg per hectare annually against a recommended 60 kg - resulting in faster depletion of soil nutrients.