The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and international interest.

Standard Group Plc HQ Office,
The Standard Group Center,Mombasa Road.
P.O Box 30080-00100,Nairobi, Kenya.
Telephone number: 0203222111, 0719012111
Email: [email protected]

NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

Climate change and lack of credit drops coffee production

News

By Lydiah Nyawira | Dec 14, 2020

**The second crop was not enough given the continuous rain over the period, not allowing trees to be stressed and produce the much needed flowers.**

Climate change, growing real estate demand and lack of farm input are some of the challenges contributing to a dip in the Kenyan coffee production which has dipped in the 2019/20 season.

According to a report by the Coffee Directorate, Kenyan coffee production for the season 2019-20 is likely to settle at 36,000 tonnes out of the earlier projected 38,000 tonnes.

The low performance by coffee farmers has been occasion by climatic changes that affected the crop production for the 2019-20 season.

Keep Reading

“There was a prolonged dry spell from January-April 2019 that disrupted the flowering patterns of the coffee trees. The intermittent rainfall in these months produced flowers that later on dried up,” the directorate reported.

The rains that came in May 2020 were consistent but flowering was subdued hence the low crop, especially in the middle and lower zones.

**The low performance by coffee farmers has been occasion by climatic changes that affected the crop production for the 2019-20 season.**

“Reduction is also attributed to the usual biennial bearing cycle of Arabica coffee tree that is directly related to the state of a coffee tree."

The second crop was not enough given the continuous rain over the period, not allowing trees to be stressed and produce the much needed flowers.

A resurgence of leaf rust disease due to the adverse weather conditions in main coffee growing regions of central-Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Muranga and Kiambu was also reported.

However, the west of rift registered marginal increase in coffee production because of newly planted coffee coming into production in Trans Nzoia, Kericho, Nandi, Uasin Gishu and Keiyo Marakwet.

**Out of the 36,000 tonnes milled this season, 24,531 were sold at auction while 13,850 bought through direct sales.**

Most smallholder coffee farmers rely on their societies to provide credit to access input, and this year, few farmers had access to credit.

“If their society does not provide the input on credit and recover the cost from the individual farmer proceeds, then farm input use will be very low or no-existent,” the report warned.

Based on the national coffee production trends, for the last three seasons, Kenyan coffee farmers produced 41,375 tonnes in 2017/18, and 44,935 tonnes in 2018/19.

The directorate estimates the production will increase in the 2020-21 season with a projected 40,000 tonnes.

Out of the 36,000 tonnes milled this season, 24,531 were sold at auction while 13,850 bought through direct sales.