Contest should make us smell the coffee

The number of coffee farmers is declining because of poor returns. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • We do not promote our very own. We just grow the crop and ship it abroad. Most people who buy and appreciate our coffee are foreigners.
  • The State should weigh in with interventions to arrest the waning fortunes of the industry and make it the lucrative venture that supported the lives of millions of Kenyans.

The enthusiasm and debate triggered by a recent competition among coffee experts and brewers, known as baristas, should be a wake-up call to Kenyans and technocrats charged with minding the limping coffee industry.

Indeed, this could be the trigger that we have, for a long time, needed to inject fresh interest into the Kenyan coffee industry and turn around the dwindling fortunes of farmers.

The 16th National Barista Championship saw coffee houses showcase their brews, which guests were invited to sample.

The event at The Hub, in Karen, Nairobi, filled the mall with the refreshing aroma of original Kenyan coffee, to the delight of the eager crowd in attendance, including this writer.

It left them wondering why, for all of the 16 years it has been in existence, industry stakeholders have not latched on to it to create awareness of Kenya’s rich and superior coffees and demand its rightful place in the world market for the benefit of farmers.

NATIONAL PRIDE

The overall winner, Mr Hillary Mugasitsi, whose signature drink, “The Doctor”, beat tough competition from six other finalists, was awarded a cash prize.

But, above all, it won him a ticket to the World Barista Championship, due in Boston, US, in April.

Sadly, many Kenyans do not even know of such a competition; neither do they drink coffee — except when out on a date or at a meeting.

We do not promote our very own. We just grow the crop and ship it abroad. Most people who buy and appreciate our coffee are foreigners.

Last year, I asked my father if he ever drinks his coffee since he still grows it. He answered in the negative, confessing that it has been years since he tasted his own coffee!

He narrated how frustrations over poor returns had forced him and many of his fellow farmers to give up on the cash crop.

I bet we all grew up knowing one brand of coffee, “Kahawa No. 1”. Thankfully, more brands have come up and Kenyans have a wide array to choose from.

DISPIRITED

When I realised that few Kenyans, me included, take coffee, I challenged myself that I would promote this produce.

Official statistics show that the country’s annual coffee production stands at 40,000 tonnes, compared to neighbouring Ethiopia, which is doing half a billion tonnes, and Uganda (250,000 tonnes).

And while Uganda targets to hit 1.25 million tonnes by 2022, Kenya aims at a paltry 100,000 tonnes. Kenya attained its highest-ever production, of 130,000 tonnes, in 1988/9.

That has seen many farmers, disappointed by the poor earnings, stop growing the crop and their number plummet.

MARKETING

This is where initiatives such as this competition come in handy. We can use it to draw attention to our special coffees and regain the status of a top coffee producing country.

For good measure, the organisers could start by getting coffee farmers to appreciate the value of their once-cherished crop once again.

The State should weigh in with interventions to arrest the waning fortunes of the industry and make it the lucrative venture that supported the lives of millions of Kenyans, directly and indirectly, and greatly contributed to economic growth.

Mrs Mugunda is a graphic designer at Nation Media Group. [email protected]