Monthly Report Template for COMPETE Grantees

The report highlights activities accomplished in accordance with the grant agreement. To link input suppliers with producers and producers with buyers, Sara Morrocchi, Country Director, worked alongside Kilicafe's Director, Mr Geoffrey Mwa Ngulumbi, to set contracts for specialty coffee from the 2011 harvest. This effort aimed to facilitate the sale of high-quality coffee. Quality management training workshops were conducted for producers at nine of the ten RITS washing stations. The workshops focused on improving product quality and enabling producers to market their coffee for higher premium sales. A total of 176 producers from five washing stations received direct training in harvest and post-harvest practices, including hands-on training in correct picking and sorting practices and the basics of quality in the cup. Additionally, 185 producers received farmer training manuals in Kiswahili. The RITS system was used to track coffee at the dry mill, with a total of 129 daily batches of coffee tracked in July. This brought the grand total from the beginning of the 2011 harvest to 82,426 kg of cherry tracked using RITS. Furthermore, 8,721,629 Tanzanian Shillings (approximately $5,814) in farmer advanced payments were made using RITS, bringing the grand total since the beginning of the 2011 harvest to 10,825,929 Tanzanian Shillings ($7,217). Sustainable Harvest staff, in collaboration with Davis and Shirtliff solar energy providers, brought power to several washing stations for the first time. Each group received solar-kits equipped to charge their laptops and printers for up to 10 hours a day, even in overcast conditions. This development will enable the washing stations to operate more efficiently, particularly during late hours when coffee is received from producers. However, some groups connected to the national grid are experiencing power rationing, which affects their ability to run printers and provide electronic receipts.