AVIV Coffee Farm in Songea Employs Over 6,000 Workers

According to the Ruvuma Regional Secretariat, Tanzania has the potential to boost employment and foreign exchange earnings by investing in large-scale commercial farming, pointing to the AVIV Tanzania Limited coffee plantation in Lipokela, Songea, Ruvuma Region.

The farm encompasses over 2,000 hectares, with more than 1,000 hectares planted with coffee. It generates approximately 1,400 permanent jobs and 5,000 seasonal jobs, amounting to 6,400 employment opportunities, the report states.

AVIV Farm Manager Hamza Kassim stated that the farm accounts for about 4.5 percent of total national coffee production, with 60 percent of its harvest sold outside Tanzania. Assistant Manager Muthana Maruvanda noted that the company continues to upgrade irrigation infrastructure and enable farmers to learn modern production techniques.

The source also noted that during a visit to the farm in September 2024, President Dkt. Samia Suluhu Hassan stated that national coffee production had increased from 65 tons to 85 tons, generating around 250 million US dollars in revenue. The publication concluded that large-scale farms serve as hubs for employment, technology, markets, and foreign exchange in rural economies.

Large agricultural employers in Ruvuma Region provide livelihood opportunities and agricultural training models that inform community development and economic prospects for residents across the region. This is TCDI context, not a statement by the source, and does not mean TCDI took part in what is reported.