Coffee
Coffee is the second largest commodity export for Kenya. The sector employs about 1.5 million people in the rural as well as those in the processing factories and packaging, transport, auction houses, retail outlets and marketing.
Nearly 98% of coffee produced in Kenya is exported mostly to the European Union, U.S., the Middle East, Canada and South Korea.
Opportunities exist in provision of services such as improved crop husbandry and proper pulping, drying, roasting, storage, milling and grading all targeting to improve on high quality. Other opportunities include, value addition and aggressive marketing, investment in growing of the Arabica coffee and manufacturing of coal from coffee husks.
The Coffee Directorate of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority oversees the activities in the sub-sector in the interest of the farmers as well as investors. The Directorate also markets coffee, markets and protects the product from unscrupulous trading. http://coffee.agricultureauthority.go.ke
An elderly woman picks coffee berries near Mt. Kenya region