Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Growth
Coffee seeds are first planted in coffee nursery, as
shown on the left hand side. At about 42 days after
planting, one would see a small sprout. Coffees are
moved into the gournd at about 9 months after it was
planted; however, 3 months before it’s planted, a hole
must be dug in the ground to prepare for the coffee tree.
Post-Harvest Processing (before sending off to mill
in Nairobi)
Our group was introduced to the Kimabole Factory and greeted by a group of local coffee farmers who taught us
the process of coffee farming from nursery to harvest and storage. It was also then when they acknowledged us
the problems that they are currently facing.
Currently in Kenya, there is only one miller in Nairobi for further process of the coffee beans and exportation.
Several factors are involved in the transportation of coffee beans. From Chesikaki the beans are first transported
to Bungoma then to Nairobi. Due to the length of this journey, many middlemen were involved and transportation
has become a costly process. In Nairobi, the beans are sold through a bidding system. For how much the coffee
beans were sold still remains a mystery to the coffee farmers. There is also the problem of delayed payment to
the farmers. As a matter of fact, the farmers were told that all of last year’s harvest was sold before the end of
year; however they were still not paid.
Kenyan coffee has been a main cash crop for years as it is consumed worldwide, from the Americas to Europe, to
Asia Pacific. Being a coffee drinker myself, when I requested to visit the coffee farmers, I envisioned a tour that’s
similar to wine tours of the Western world where tourists are led through the plantation, then to the factory, into the
cellars and to a gift shop for any touristy purchases. I was hoping to be able to buy Kenyan coffee on site in that
same manner. To my surprise, most farmers are living in poverty as Nairobi has the sole control of most coffee
sales. Currently, coffee is mainly sold via a bidding system in Nairobi for exportation. Despite its popularity, most
coffee farmers are struggling in their production due to various reasons from political to natural, to exploitation by
middlemen due to the long journey from Western Kenya to Nairobi. Direct sell of coffee has been suggested by
many as a second window for farmers as it is necessary for the farmers to be able to enjoy the fruit of their labor.
The construction of a mill in Western Kenya will be the first step to direct sell. With the introduction of a mill on
this side of the country, this will increase job employment for the ever increasing population. As well, being able
to sell directly, it provides a second source of income to the farmers as coffee farms and factories may be a form
of tourist attraction for coffee lovers. It will also enhance international trades with Uganda and Tanzania, and will
reduce if not completely eliminate the presence of black market. Most importantly this eliminates the number of
middlemen involved in the transportation process. It may be a wishful thinking to have a mill built here in Western
Province, however it is something that we should aspire to work on.