Kenya seeks to increase new areas for coffee production

Kenya has kicked off plans to open up new areas for coffee production as part of efforts to boost output across the East African nation, officials said on Saturday.

Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Richard Lesiyampe said major progress has been achieved in increasing production per tree by 50 percent in the last three crop years.

Lesiyampe said more than 3,000 hectares have been planted with coffee varieties in non-tradition coffee growing regions in the last three years.

"We have managed to increase area under coffee to 113,500 hectares from 109,795 ha since 2013/14 crop year. The increase in area under coffee has been achieved out of efforts fast tracked both by the national government and county government among other value chain players," he said.

He confirmed that in 2013/14 and 14/15 crop years, another 3,500 hectares have been planted with coffee, mainly the new varieties -Batian and Ruiru 11.

He said counties in Rift Valley and Western Kenya have emerged as new coffee regions as traditional regions mostly in central Kenya region face threat of encroachment of real estates and emergence of new economic ventures such as horticulture farming.

"As new coffee frontiers continue emerging consideration needs to be concentrated on boosting yield per tree," said Coffee Research Institute (CRI) Director Dr. Elijah Gichuru.

Currently, Gichuru said the national average production per tree has increased to three kilograms per tree in the current crop year from two kilograms three years ago. Endit