South Korean pledges to buy coffee from Othaya farmers

Nyeri County Agriculture executive Robert Thuo (right) explains to South Korean Ambassador to Kenya Young Dae Kwon how coffee is roasted at Othaya Coffee Factory on January 27, 2017. Mr Kwon pledged to market coffee from Nyeri in his country. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Kwon could not disclose the volumes they would import to their country.
  • He maintained they would enter into a memorandum of understanding with the farmers.
  • He revealed that E-mart Mall, the largest in the Republic of South Korea sells Kenyan coffee sourced from Othaya.
  • The coffee is currently sold in 144 outlets in South Korea.

The South Korean Ambassador to Kenya Young Dae Kwon has pledged to expand the Othaya coffee export market and raise its profile in his country.

Speaking during a visit of the Othaya coffee mill, the ambassador said he would convene a meeting with delegates from his country who will open coffee shops that will sell Kenyan coffee.

The ambassador cited growing consumption of coffee from Othaya as part of the reason he visited the coffee mill.

“Kenyan coffee is the best and our aim is to enhance the global need to buy fresh coffee beans directly from farmers in this country,” said Mr Kwon.

Othaya coffee features on the list of top quality producers of the black gold type.

However, Mr Kwon could not disclose the volumes they would import to their country but maintained they would enter into a memorandum of understanding with the farmers.

He revealed that E-mart Mall, the largest in the Republic of South Korea, sells Kenyan coffee sourced from Othaya under the Othaya Kenya AA name tag.

The coffee is currently sold in 144 outlets in South Korea.

Data reveal that Othaya AA sells at Sh1,951 per kilogramme and is 70 per cent cheaper than coffee sold in coffee houses in South Korea.

Records show that in 2007, coffee exports to Korea were valued at Sh14 billion ($136 million) but in 2015 the figures rapidly rose to Sh60 billion.