Historical Source of Coffee cultivation in Kenya Manor introduction to the Central Mountain area of Nyeri

Origin

Kenyan coffee

Kenyan coffee

It 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 was introduced by the St. Austen Mission (St.AustinMission).

Kenyan coffee is mostly grown at an altitude of 1500m, 2100m, 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 coffee is collected together, and the growers charge the average price according to their actual quality. This trading method generally works well and is fair to both growers and consumers.

Current situation

Kenyan coffee

Kenyan coffee

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. The general yield is stable at 1.6 million bags, with an average yield of about 650kg per hectare. Even before coffee prices skyrocketed, the average price of coffee in Kenya had been rising. Prices in 1993-1994 were 50% higher than they were 12 months ago. The price rise is mainly the result of increased demand.