More Farmers Embrace Coffee Farming in the Country

Coffee farming across the country has shown an increment in the past three years as more farmers embrace this kind of farming for economic purposes.

Coffee is the world’s second most traded commodity and the Kenyan coffee was recently ranked among the most preferred one in the global market.

Currently, the total acreage for coffee is 113,000 hectares in the country as compared to 109,795 hectares in 2013 and 2014. Other areas that have embraced coffee farming include the North Rift and Nyanza regions.  

The crop is largely grown in the Mount Kenya and Eastern regions where the best coffee beans comes from. These are the main areas that have been exporting coffee before other regions in the country.

Agriculture PS Richard Lesiyampe disclosed that most of these farmers have abandoned the traditional coffee farming methods and started practicing modern ways for cash crop purposes.

The PS said that some farmers from the Central region have been threatening to leave coffee farming and in turn convert the land into real estate and horticulture since they are not getting good returns from the crop. The PS promised to look into the matter and get ways of sorting out the problem.

Poor management in the coffee industry led to most people who were practicing coffee farming to abandon it as they were not being involved in the policy making processes that affected them directly.

Potential areas in the country where coffee production can be seen to be high are in the process of being expanded by the European Union through the Coffee Productivity Project. This is being done through increased enhancement of resources required in coffee farming.

Farmers are being enlightened more on the best methods to use so as to get higher yields. Those who still embrace the traditional methods of farming are being encouraged to try modern ways.

Article by Vera Shawiza.