Kenya sees coffee output rising 22 pct in next two crop years

Kenya's coffee output will rise 22 percent to about 60,000 tonnes in the next two crop years (Oct-Sept), thanks to new varieties and increasing area under cultivation, a senior government official said on Thursday.

Sicily Kariuki, principal secretary at the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Ministry, told a news conference the aim was to raise production from about 49,000 tonnes in 2013/14, by introducing higher yielding coffee varieties and encouraging more farmers to take up the crop.