NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya plans to double its coffee exports to the United States in order to tap into the lucrative North American market, officials said on Wednesday.
Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Kenya Interim Head of Coffee Directorate Grenville Melli told a coffee forum in Nairobi that Kenya currently exports 4000 metric tons of coffee annually the US.
“Our target is to double exports to reach 8000 metric tonnes in the next three years,” Melli said during a meeting on Kenya’s preparations to participate in the Global Specialty Coffee Expo that will take place in the United States next month.
Kenya plans to leverage on the Expo in order to intensify its marketing efforts so as expand coffee exports. Melli said that the United States is an ideal market for Kenya’s coffee because it attracts premium prices.
“We therefore want to concentrate on selling specialty coffee to U.S. consumers,” he added.
In 2016, Kenya produced 46,000 metric tonnes of coffee most of which was exported.
AFA plans to double Kenya’s coffee production by increasing land under cultivations.
Data from the ministry of agriculture, livestock and fisheries indicates that the country has 113500 hectares under coffee up from 100000 ha in 2011.
Melli said that by 2020 Kenya aims to have 130,000 ha under the cash crop.
He noted that the government has began to provide high yielding coffee varieties to farmers so as to expand coffee output.
