Tanzania's coffee export revenue fell by 27% and volume declined by 19% in April compared with the prior month, the country's central bank said Tuesday. The value of coffee beans sold for export fell to $10.2 million in April from $14.0 million in March, the bank said, citing monthly data for exports of goods and services. Volume fell to 2,900 metric tons in April from 3,600 tons. The unit price of a ton of beans sold to overseas markets fell to $3,482.2 in April from $3,838.7 in March, the bank said. Tanzania, which produces arabica and robusta coffee, is Africa's fourth-largest coffee producer after Ethiopia, Uganda and Ivory Coast.
Tanzanian arabica auctions use New York ICE Futures price index as their benchmark, while robusta prices follow the London-traded contract on ICE. Direct sales are also allowed. Almost all Tanzanian coffee beans are sold for export. In the marketing year beginning July 2022 through June 2023, Tanzania plans to increase its coffee production to 75,000 tons from 65,235 tons in the current year, mainly by rehabilitating existing coffee farms and training farmers on better cultivation, according to Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe.