Kenya aims to reach 150,000 tonnes of coffee production

Kenya is targeting an annual coffee output of 150,000 metric tonnes through the introduction of new, climate-resilient varieties. Current projections for the 2025/2026 season place production at approximately 60,000 metric tonnes, significantly below the long-term goal.

Henry Kinyua, chair of the Coffee Board of Kenya, noted that underinvestment in research over the last two to three decades has delayed the release of new varieties. One such variety under development at the Coffee Research Institute is an Arabica-Robusta hybrid known as “Arabusta”.

To meet these targets, officials suggest that increasing investment and potentially making the Coffee Research and Training Institute a standalone agency could help mobilize necessary resources. Addressing the seedling shortage is also a priority, as annual demand is approximately 40 million seedlings compared to a current production of 10 million.