TANZANIA is set to host G25 African coffee summit tomorrow and Saturday, with the goal of boosting coffee production and increasing Africa's presence in the global market.

Primus Kimaryo, director general of the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), announced in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the high-profile event to be held in Dar es Salaam will bring together key stakeholders from 25 coffee-producing African nations to discuss trade, investment and policy strategies for the industry.

Kimaryo confirmed that seven heads of state had already confirmed their attendance while others will be represented by senior officials.

He further noted that Tanzania, along with other African coffee-producing countries, is set to issue a joint declaration—the Dar es Salaam Declaration—which aims to enhance the value of African coffee across the continent.

“In this third summit, we aim to address key challenges in Africa’s coffee industry, particularly by creating employment opportunities for young people through improvements. Our goal is to enhance coffee production, increase its value, and ensure it is utilised within Africa to help tackle youth unemployment,” he said.

Kimaryo explained that the two-day summit will begin with   ministerial session, where leaders will deliberate on critical issues affecting the coffee subsector.

The discussions will culminate in the signing of the Dar es Salaam Declaration on the second day, in the presence of the attending heads of state.

Justa Katunzi, acting assistant director for crop production at the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasised the summit’s importance in positioning coffee as a key driver of Tanzania’s economy. She urged young people to recognise coffee as a lucrative cash crop, highlighting its potential to address unemployment and improve livelihoods.

Ambassador Solomon Rutega, Secretary General of the Inter-African Coffee Organisation (IACO), stressed the need for African nations to fully benefit from their coffee production rather than exporting raw beans for processing abroad.

“Much of Africa’s coffee is exported, processed abroad to increase its value, and then sold back to the continent at high prices. This G25 summit will explore strategies for African nations to take full control of the entire coffee value chain from farming to market distribution,” he said.

The summit is expected to strengthen intra-African trade, improve coffee value addition, and promote policies that empower local producers in the global market.

Tanzania produces between 30,000 and 40,000 metric tonnes of coffee each year. Arabica coffee makes up about 70 percent of the total production while Robusta accounts for the remaining 30 percent. 

Smallholder farms account for 90 percent of all coffee farms in Tanzania, with the remaining 10 percent coming from large estates in Arusha, Kilimanjaro, and Mbeya regions.