Coffee production in Kenya

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Despite its proximity to Ethiopia (widely believed to be the region from which coffee originated), one source states that coffee was not cultivated in Kenya until 1893, when French Holy Ghost Fathers introduced coffee trees from Reunion Island. The mission farms near Nairobi were used as the nucleus around which Kenyan coffee growing developed.Kennedy, Patrick (June 2005)[http://www.sweetmarias.com/kenya_writeup_royal.pdf Royal News June 2005 - Kenya Coffee] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060508162836/http://www.sweetmarias.com/kenya_writeup_royal.pdf|date=2006-05-08}} Sweet Marias, Retrieved 28 August 2013 Another reference claims the British introduced coffee growing about 1900.Davids, Kenneth (2001) [http://www.coffeereview.com/reference.cfm?ID=67 Coffees from Africa and Arabia: Kenya] Coffee Review, Retrieved 27 August 2013 In 1933 the Coffee Act was passed, establishing the Kenyan Coffee Board which moved the sale of coffee back to Kenya.{{Cite book |last=Hoffmann |first=James |title=The World Atlas of Coffee 2nd Edition |publisher=Mitchell Beazley |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-78472-429-0 |location=Great Britain |pages=138 |language=English}} In the early 1950s, an agricultural act was passed to create family holdings that combined subsistence farming with the production of cash crops for additional income. This act was known as the Swynnerton Plan.

Coffee is a key forex earner for the country. Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) indicates that coffee production in recent years has ranged from 34,500 to 51,900 tonnes.

In the 2022-2023 coffee year, $127.8 million worth of coffee was sold through the Nairobi Coffee Exchange. This marked a 43.8% decrease from the 2021-2022 coffee year when $227.3 million was exchanged. This was largely caused by a drop in the price of coffee in the New York Intercontinental Commodity Exchange.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-01 |title=Coffee earnings dipped Sh15b in 2022/23 |url=https://www.pd.co.ke/news/coffee-earnings-dipped-sh15b-in-2022-23-212681/ |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=www.pd.co.ke |language=en-GB}} These prices began a rebound in 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-13 |title=Kenya's traded coffee volumes, prices rebound on participants’ return |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business/traded-coffee-volumes-prices-rebound-on-participants-return-4490596 |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=The East African |language=en}}

The major coffee-growing regions in Kenya are the high plateaus around Mount Kenya, the Aberdare Range, Kisii, Nyanza, Bungoma, Nakuru, Kericho, Nandi, Mt. Elgon and to a smaller scale in Machakos and Taita hills in Eastern and coast provinces respectively.Adams, Tim (17 February 2013) [https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/feb/17/andrew-rugasira-interview-good-african-coffee Andrew Rugasira: can coffee transform lives in Africa] The Guardian, Retrieved 28 August 2013{{Cite web |title=Kenya: top ten coffee producer counties 2018-2019 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1154629/main-coffee-production-counties-in-kenya-by-sector/ |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=Statista |language=en}}

• [https://magutaestatecoffee.com/ MAGUTA COFFEE ESTATE] - Nyeri, Muruguru (Specialty Organic Coffee & origin trips)
• [http://lisha.coffee/ Kipkelion District Co-operative Union] including Mill Factory serving more than 40,000 farmers
• [https://www.gikandacoffee.com/ Gikanda Cooperative Society] — Gichathaini, Kangocho and Ndaroini Factories{{Cite web |last=week |first=Stay up to date on the editors' picks of the |date=2020-09-24 |title=Better pay for farmers in new coffee sale deal |url=https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/news/better-pay-for-farmers-in-new-coffee-sale-deal-2237210 |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=Business Daily |language=en}} (Mathira, Nyeri)
• Kibirigwi Farmers Cooperative Society (kirinyaga)
• New Gikaru (Nyeri-Mukurwe-ini)
• Tekangu Cooperative Society — Tegu, Karogoto and Ngunguru Factories (Mathira, Nyeri)
• Thiriku Farmers Co-op Society (Thingingi Area, Nyeri)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125703/http://mutheka.coop/ Mutheka Farmers Co-operative Society] - [http://muthekacoffee.com/chorongi-factory Chorong'i Coffee Factory (Nyeri)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403050739/http://muthekacoffee.com/chorongi-factory/|date=2015-04-03}}, [http://muthekacoffee.com/kingwandi-factory Kigwandi Coffee Factory (Nyeri)]{{Dead link|date=July 2019|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}, [http://muthekacoffee.com/kihuyo-factory Kihuyo Coffee Factory (Nyeri)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404075504/http://muthekacoffee.com/kihuyo-factory/|date=2015-04-04}}, [http://muthekacoffee.com/muthuaini-factory Muthuaini Coffee Factory (Nyeri)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407113435/http://muthekacoffee.com/muthuaini-factory/|date=2015-04-07}}, [http://muthekacoffee.com/kamuyu-factory Kamuyu Coffee Factory (Nyeri)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403030756/http://muthekacoffee.com/kamuyu-factory/|date=2015-04-03}}, [http://muthekacoffee.com/kaihuri-factory Kaihuri Coffee Factory (Nyeri)]{{Dead link|date=July 2019|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}
• Iyego Farmers Cooperative Society - Main, Mununga, Gatubu, Marimira, Gitura, Kirangano, Watuha (Murang'a)
• Karunguru coffee estate (Juja Kenya)

• Othaya Co-operative Society (Othaya, Nyeri)
• Rung'eto Farmers Co-operative Society - Kii, Karimikui and Kiangoi Factories (Kirinyaga County, Ngariama ward)
• Baragwi Farmers Co-operative Society - Karumandi, Kianyaga, Gachame Factories
• [https://www.mountkenyacoffee.co.ke/ Meru Central Coffee Co-Operative Union] - along Meru-Embu Highway

• Coffee production in Uganda
• Coffee production in Tanzania
• List of countries by coffee production
• Coffee production in Rwanda
• Coffee production in Ethiopia

• Hyde, David. "'Paying for the Emergency by displacing the settlers': global coffee and rural restructuring in late colonial Kenya." Journal of Global History, Volume 4, Number 1 (2009).
• Hyde, David. "Coffee and Decolonisation in Kenya: Overproduction, Quotas and Rural Restructuring." Commodities of Empire Working Paper Number 8, July 2008.Commodities of Empire is a British Academy Research Project, based at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Modern and Contemporary History https://commoditiesofempire.org.uk/publications/working-papers/working-paper-8/.

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• International Coffee Organization: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060518031602/http://www.ico.org/prices/m1.htm Exports by Exporting Countries]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060508162836/http://www.sweetmarias.com/kenya_writeup_royal.pdf Overview of the Kenyan coffee industry]

{{Economy of Kenya}}{{Kenya topics}}{{Coffee|nocat=1}}{{Coffee production}}

Category:Economy of Kenya

Category:Agriculture in Kenya

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