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Agriculture is the leading sector of the Tanzanian economy, and
the most critical for inclusive pro-poor growth. Agriculture provides employment for more
than three quarters of the population, accounts for 75% of the country’s exports, and
contributes almost 50% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Cocoa was introduced into Tanzania in the 1950s, and was being grown commercially
within a decade. Although it tends to be considered a relatively minor non-traditional cash
crop, it is currently supports an estimated 25,000 farmers and their families (or around
100,000 people). At the moment, around 80% of the country’s crop comes from a single
district – Kyela in Mbeya region – where conditions for cocoa cultivation are near perfect.
The majority of plants are grown there in organic conditions, by smallholders on plots well
below a hectare, and sold directly from farms for export. The distinctive flavour of Tanzanian
cocoa has recently been attracting the attention of the international cocoa world, but much
is still needed for the country’s crop to reach its full potential |
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