3 Kenyan Factories Ranked Top Coffee Producers Globally

Three Kenyan Coffee factories have been ranked among the world’s top processors and producers for 2017.

Kabare AA, produced by the Kabare farmers’ cooperative society in Kirinyaga secured the fourth position on Coffee Review’s list of Top 30 with a score of 97 points out of 100.

AA is the highest grade of Kenya coffee based on bean size and freedom from physical imperfections.

Riakiberu AB came in at position 20 with 95 points. The coffee was produced by Kamacharia farmers’ cooperative society in Murang’a.

Baragu farmers’ cooperative society in Kirinyaga was selected as the number 25 coffee of the top 30 list.

The rankings were, however, a drop compared to 2016 when seven factories were ranked among the world’s best by Coffee Review, an online publication that analyses the quality of beans globally.

In 2016, Guama coffee factory, a member of Baragwi cooperative society in Kirinyaga, topped the list, and in both 2014 and 2015 coffees from Panama (both from trees of the Gesha variety) prevailed.

Last year, six of the top 30 selections were produced from trees of the Gesha variety, which, since their rediscovery in 2004, continues to produce rare, expensive and generally stunning and original coffees.

Climatic changes have contributed to the decline of coffee production in Kenya over the past years. This is because the rainfall patterns together with excessive droughts make crop management and disease control a nightmare. With regular droughts and less rainfall in marginal areas continuing to be seen, production of coffee has plummeted in many areas.

Kenyan coffee is the most preferred across the globe known for its strong aroma and unique taste, is a much sought after brand globally as it is used to blend other brands from other countries like Ethiopia and Uganda.

Its revered quality has earned it a fervent following across the world with coffee roasters placing orders for specific brands pushing the price up to between Sh2,000 and Sh90,000 for a quarter kilo.

Coffee exports increased by 15 percent in the crop season through September 2016 to 44,000 tonnes. Kenya’s mainly rain-fed agriculture makes up about a quarter of the 7 trillion-shilling economy. The sector contributed 3.9 percent growth to gross domestic product in the third quarter of 2016 after tea and coffee output fell, compared with 5.5 per cent a year earlier, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

It is estimated that over 700,000 small-scale and large-scale farmers are involved in coffee farming. In addition, the coffee industry, due to its forward and backward linkages, directly and indirectly benefits about 5 million people in the country.