Coffee revival gains momentum as Kenya targets 150,000 tonnes by 2028
Coffee berries
By WMW
Kenya’s ambitious coffee revitalization programme is beginning to deliver results, with production forecast to increase significantly and farmer earnings rising as the government intensifies efforts to restore the crop’s status as one of the country’s leading foreign exchange earners.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, coffee production is projected to reach 63,836 metric tonnes in the 2025/2026 season, representing a 26.2 per cent increase from current levels. The growth is part of a broader strategy aimed at tripling national output from 50,000 metric tonnes to 150,000 metric tonnes by 2028.
The programme seeks to reverse years of declining production attributed to ageing coffee bushes, climate change, high production costs and governance challenges within cooperative societies.
Smallholder farmers continue to dominate the sector, accounting for 70 per cent of coffee production, while women make up 30 per cent of participants in the value chain. More than 550 cooperatives are involved in coffee production and marketing across the country.
Farmers earn more as production rises
A key achievement of recent reforms has been a significant increase in farmer earnings.
Average payments have risen by 52 per cent, from KSh78.99 per kilogram to KSh120 per kilogram, providing fresh incentives for farmers to invest in coffee production.
To support the sector’s recovery, the government has invested KSh500 million under the Coffee Revival Programme, resulting in the distribution of 2.98 million coffee seedlings to farmers.
The ministry has also trained 986 coffee champions across 33 coffee-growing counties to strengthen extension services and promote modern farming practices.
Of those trained, 570 are men and 416 are women. The programme currently reaches farmers in 495 wards.
County production figures show Kirinyaga remains the country’s leading coffee producer with 8,999 metric tonnes, accounting for 17.77 per cent of national production.
Kiambu follows with 8,224 metric tonnes or 16.34 per cent, while Nyeri produced 5,701 metric tonnes. Kericho and Murang’a recorded 5,260 metric tonnes and 5,160 metric tonnes respectively.
Expanding access to international markets
The coffee revival initiative is also focused on strengthening Kenya’s position in international markets, particularly in Europe, which remains the country’s largest export destination.
The European Union accounts for 55 per cent of Kenya’s external coffee sales. In 2024, coffee exports generated KSh38.2 billion, highlighting the crop’s continued importance to the economy.
To comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Kenya has accelerated farm mapping and traceability efforts.
The ministry reports that 91 per cent of coffee farms have been mapped under EUDR requirements, while all 33 coffee-growing counties have completed the mapping process.
Officials say the move will help secure continued access to lucrative European markets and position Kenyan coffee favourably as buyers increasingly demand sustainable and traceable products.
Climate-Smart Investments drive long-term growth
The government is placing climate resilience at the centre of its long-term strategy for the coffee sector.
Plans are underway to produce 179 million climate-resilient coffee seedlings over the next five years through collaboration with the Coffee Research and Training Institute (CRTI) and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI).
The programme also includes the rehabilitation of 30,000 hectares of coffee farms and the planting of 18 million trees to support environmental conservation and climate adaptation.
In addition, the government intends to strengthen 200 cooperatives and 49 SACCOs through financial inclusion and corporate governance programmes aimed at improving farmer access to credit and enhancing institutional management.
Agriculture stakeholders say the combination of improved earnings, increased production, expanded market access and climate-smart investments has renewed optimism in the sector.
If the current momentum is sustained, Kenya could not only achieve its target of 150,000 metric tonnes by 2028 but also reaffirm its reputation as one of the world’s leading producers of premium-quality coffee, while improving livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of farming households across the country.
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