Board expects bumper coffee yields

Coffee production could surpass the 60,000 metric tonnes projected by the Coffee Board of Kenya this season.

The main reasons are the favourable weather and a move by farmers, particularly in Mt Kenya region, to embrace production of specialty coffee.

CBK official Richard Wahome said on Sunday that the main coffee growing districts of Nyeri, Kirinyaga and Embu were projecting a 77 per cent increase in production.

“There is a lot of coffee this year and we could surpass the 60,000 metric tonnes that the board projected. We are anticipating very good harvests until the end of the season,” Mr Wahome told the Daily Nation.

Production for the larger Nyeri District could hit 37 million kilogrammes up from 24 million kilogrammes produced last season.

Kirinyaga District could double production to 36 million kilogrammes although agricultural experts had initially revised the figure downwards after the rains came late.

Production for Embu District is expected to rise to 20 million kilogrammes from last season’s 12 million. Mr Wahome said the ongoing rains were good for the crops especially if farmers applied enough fertilizers.

Several pilot projects for specialty coffee production have been going on in a number of co-operative societies in Nyeri District which has seen more growers embrace better agricultural practices.

Under the project, coffee is graded at the farm level and growers who meet certain minimum quality standards pick, process, mill and sell their coffee separately from others.