Kenya Coffee-Kenya Coffee

Coffee entered Kenya in the 19th century, when Ethiopian coffee drinks were imported into Kenya through southern Yemen. But it was not until the early 20th century that the Bourbon Coffee Tree was created by the St. Austen Mission (St). Austin Mission) is introduced.

Kenyan coffee is mostly grown at an altitude of 1500 to 2100 meters and is harvested twice a year. To ensure that only ripe berries are picked, people must tour the forest about seven times. Kenyan coffee is grown by small farmers. After they harvest the coffee, they first send the fresh coffee beans to the cooperative cleaning station. The washing station sends the dried coffee to the cooperative in the form of "parchment coffee beans" (that is, coffee beans covered with endocarp) to the cooperative ("parchment coffee beans" is the last state of coffee beans before peeling). All the coffees are collected together, and growers charge an average price according to their actual quality. This trading method generally works well and is fair to both growers and consumers.

The Kenyan government takes the coffee industry very seriously, where it is illegal to cut down or destroy coffee trees. The buyers of Kenyan coffee are world-class buyers of quality coffee, and no country can grow, produce and sell coffee continuously like Kenya. All coffee beans are first acquired by the Kenya Coffee Commission (coffee Board of Kaeya, or CBK), where they are identified, rated, and then sold at weekly auctions, which are no longer graded. The Kenya Coffee Commission only acts as an agent to collect coffee samples and distribute them to buyers so that they can determine the price and quality. The auction in Nairobi is for private exporters, and the Kenya Coffee Commission pays growers below the market price. The best coffee grade is bean berry coffee (PB), followed by AA++, AA+, AA, AB and so on. The fine coffee is shiny, delicious and slightly alcoholic.

Auctions are also organized to meet the needs of dispatchers. This kind of auction usually has a small auction volume (3-6 tons each), with samples with the grower's logo for buyers to enjoy. After the auction, the exporters pack according to different flavors, different qualities and the quantity required by the blenders. This provides a great deal of flexibility for the dispatcher. Quality-conscious Germans and Scandinavians are long-term buyers of Kenyan coffee.

Internationally, the increase in the number of Kenyan coffee is obvious. From 1969 to 1970, 800000 bags were exported, and from 1985 to 1986, exports increased to 2 million bags. Now the yield is stable at 1.6 million bags, with an average yield of about 650kg per hectare.

Even before coffee prices skyrocketed in recent years, the average price of coffee in Kenya had been rising. Prices from 1993 to 1994 were 50% higher than they were 12 months ago. The rise in prices is mainly the result of increased demand.

Some buyers, especially Japanese businessmen, have expressed dissatisfaction with the Kenyan coffee industry system. Some businessmen say that the quality of coffee in the country has declined, and point out that buying directly from farmers may be a way to improve the quality. But in any case, Kenya's detailed rules and regulations and sound procedures are a model for all coffee-producing countries.