Corus International announced that it has signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) and the Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA) to boost the country’s coffee and cocoa production.
The ambitious plan will mobilize $30 million USD (81 billion TZS) to increase Tanzania’s annual coffee production from 80,000 metric tons to 300,000 metric tons, and cocoa production from 14,490 metric tons to 80,000 metric tons by the year 2030. As coffee and cocoa production increases in Tanzania, so too will farmers’ income, industry players, regional and national revenue.
This groundbreaking initiative is part of a broader collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Corus International, spearheaded by Tanzania’s Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Hussein Mohamed Bashe, to design and implement national coffee and cocoa strategies.
The collaborators will leverage their expertise to tackle key challenges in securing market access, starting with supporting the government’s compliance efforts with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). This includes analyzing production processes and marketing channels for these two high-value crops. A critical step in this initiative is ensuring traceability from farm to port by registering farmers, mapping their plots and assessing deforestation risks and environmental sustainability.
By enhancing productivity and meeting international market standards, this effort aims to elevate Tanzanian coffee and cocoa as competitive, high-quality products on the global stage. Additionally, it seeks to create opportunities for value addition while driving employment growth, particularly for women and young adults.
Highlighting the importance of this collaboration, Mahmoud Bah, Chief Operating Officer of Corus International, remarked, “This partnership with the Government of Tanzania in general and the Ministry of Agriculture in particular is a significant milestone in advancing Tanzania’s coffee and cocoa sectors. We are proud to work with COPRA and TCB to drive sustainable growth and elevate these crops to global prominence.”
Corus International brings nearly four decades of expertise in improving coffee and cocoa production at national levels worldwide, and is known for building partnerships that empower farmers, enhance sustainability and deliver long-term economic growth in underserved regions.
Corus International is a faith-based organization that unites an array of nonprofits and businesses, each with specialized expertise in economic development, impact investing, health, humanitarian assistance, and technology for development.
The Cereal and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA) was established under Section 3 of the Food Security Act -1991 [CAP 249 R.E 2002] – Consequential Amendments of the Food Security Act (Act No. 19 of 2009) as a semi-autonomous body of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania under the Ministry responsible for Agriculture. COPRA is responsible for the regulation of the production, processing and marketing of cereals and other produce, such as cocoa, in Tanzania.
The Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB)(opens in a new tab) is a statutory body established under the Coffee Industry Act Cap 347 Laws of Tanzania (as amended) with the primary mandate to regulate, develop, and promote Tanzania’s coffee industry. Operating under the Ministry of Agriculture, TCB provides strategic advice to the Government on matters related to the coffee value chain from farm to international markets.
