Status of coffee producing areas in Kenya

Kenyan coffee-status quo

Kenyan coffee beans the Kenyan government takes the coffee industry very seriously, where it is illegal to cut down or destroy coffee trees. Kenyan coffee buyers are world-class high-quality coffee buyers, and no other country can grow, produce and sell coffee on a continuous basis like Kenya. All coffee beans are first acquired by the Kenya Coffee Commission (CoffeeBoardofKenya, CBK), where they are identified, graded, and then sold at weekly auctions, where they 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 a price 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.

On an international scale, the increase in the number of Kenyan coffee is obvious, with exports of 800000 bags in 1969-1970 and increased to 2 million bags in 1985-1986. 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 in 1993-1994 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 to learn from.