Coffee farmers to benefit from direct international markets

A worker sorts out coffee cherry at Kirimara-Mutanga Coffee factory yard one of the Large scale coffee farms in Nyeri Central Kenya.

 

Despite the myriad of challenges faced by the indigenous coffee farmers, intensified efforts to link them directly to the buyers abroad is hoped to pay handsome dividends in the long run. 
A strategy to ensure the access of farmer groups to the international markets has been prioritized in a bid give them better returns in a sector that had been dominated by multinationals who had lined their pockets for years because of monopoly to lucrative markets. 
Samuel Kamau, executive director of the African Fine Coffees Association (Afca), said the objective in Kenya was to provide opportunities for direct marketing of coffee for the 8,000 households, who grow the crop to improve earnings. 
He spoke at the closure of the 18th African Fine Coffees Conference and Exhibition at Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort in Mombasa on Friday. 
The theme of the event that brought together 950 delegates from 52 countries around the world including 15 producing ones was, “Specialty Coffee Markets: The Next Frontier.”  The exhibition provided an ample opportunity for tasting coffees and possibly secure some buyers. 
Eyes of the coffee farmers are on the new and emerging markets particularly at a time when there has been an oversupply of the commodity in the world in the last three years or so. 
The new markets are USA, South Korea, Japan, China, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and India. Others are Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Russia and the Scandinavian countries. 
The Middle East is said to consume coffee but mainly imported from Europe and know Afca seeks to ensure direct supply from source including Kenya. 
Kamau described the Kenyan coffee has one of the best in the world that could earn premium prices if marketing efforts are done right. 
“Our strategic objective is to help farmer groups access international markets. The relationship model is long-term. Cooperatives are linked to the buying countries, including the emerging markets,” Kamau who heads the Uganda-based association explained. 
Afca spearheads the marketing of coffees for various producing countries in Africa and Kenya has a special place because of having quality coffee that other countries are said to use for blending their produce. 
The farmers are linked to the international markets with the help of Kenyan foreign missions and if they fail to attend the marketing events, their coffee is usually taken there for tasting, and possibly securing of orders from such areas, Kamau explained. 
Apart from the diversification of the market, Afca is pushing for the branding of Kenyan coffee as a ‘halal’ commodity to increase sale in the Muslim countries traditionally known to be good consumers of coffee. 
Kamau said Sudan has become a big exporter of coffee despite being a non-producer because it exploits the halal tag. 
“Sudan has capitalized on the halal branding to emerge as an exporter of coffee in Africa although it does not grow the crop. Producers of quality coffee like Kenya should embrace this expand their markets,” Kamau urged. 
After the three-day conference in Mombasa, the next major coffee forum in the region in the coming months will be in Ethiopia where Kenya and other African countries will learn how a country of origin can be a big consumer of its coffee. 
Kamau and Dr Adugna Debela of the Ethiopia Coffee and Tea Authority said the event stands out as an important forum since Ethiopia has created a significant market for its coffee, unlike Kenya. 
“Ethiopia is a good example of a country of origin being a good market for its commodity. Coffee features in every event including weddings in that country. Coffee consumption is part of the culture. An Ethiopian is known to consume coffee 10 times a Kenyan,” said Kamau. 
During the Mombasa conference, Ms Margaret Fundira, coffee and cocoa product manager of the Canadian-based Lallemand confirm, courted the delegates to embrace the use of selected yeasts in the proceeding of coffees to ensure consistent quality.

Want to get latest farming tips and videos?
Join Us


Coffee;Coffee market