kenya coffee farm

MOUNT KENYA COFFEE FARMS SET FOR WINDFALL

Kenyan coffee is regarded as some of the best in the world, so coffee lovers will be pleased to learn that certain regions saw record yields in 2020/2021. Additionally, coffee quality has improved as a result of equipment upgrades, and farmers have gotten higher rewards for their efforts. 

According to Standard Media, “Coffee farmers in the Mt Kenya region are expecting a financial windfall, thanks to improved product quality and direct sales in the international market.” Officials from several cooperatives said good grades, increased direct sales overseas, increased production, and reduced operational costs have favoured farmers, who will now receive better earnings.

Peter Mathenge, Gachatha factory chairman, said 1,500 farmers produced most of AA, AB, BB and C grade coffee, which are considered mostly for export.: The acquisition of more efficient pulping machines helped improve the quality of parchment, which in turn improved the quality of the coffee. Additionally, the new machines process the coffee more gently, avoiding breaking or nibbling the beans during pulping, ensuring better bean quality that can fetch higher prices.

Mathenge said, “For the last two years, we have managed to pay our farmers over Sh100 per kilo owing to improved quality and enhanced access to markets through direct sales.” Whereas last year, the highest payment rate in the factory was 106 Kenyan shillings per kilo, this year it was Sh120, the highest in the Nyeri region.

Over 1,200 farmers secured 85 per cent premium grades.

Kiandu factory has seen the same trend, “where over 1,200 farmers secured 85 per cent premium grades.” The factory saw a successful year due to favourable weather conditions, as it produced 609,669 kg of coffee in the 2020/2021 season compared to 329,671 kg in the previous season. Likewise, earnings have risen twofold, from Sh30 million to Sh66 million.

Rates of another society, Thiriku, have risen to Sh110 from Sh100 last season. The company has also secured a five-year agreement with Trabocca, a Dutch importer.

The Kenyan government continues to help its farmers by subsidizing fertilizer, thereby supporting the production of coffee plants. Additionally, Kenyan Ecobank “has set aside Sh1 billion to support coffee, tea and the dairy sector in Nyeri county and the greater Mt Kenya region.” The bank is committed to providing farmers with credits, which will enable them to buy farming equipment and build infrastructure, such as storage facilities.

Author

  • Ziga Povse

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    Žiga Povše is a freelance writer, translator and a full-time coffee lover. After after visiting his girlfriend's family farm in Cerrado Mineiro, they opened an online store to sell Brazilian specialty coffee, and he remains an avid reader and a prolific writer.

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