Feature: Coffee Loses Luster As Macadamia, Avocado Take Over On Central Kenyan Farms
From: msn.com
As one traverses central Kenyan counties that include Muranga, Kirinyaga, Nyeri and Meru, the major shift that is happening on farms in the region is noticeable.
Coffee trees that once dotted the landscape of the region for years are fast disappearing and in their place avocados and macadamia are taking over.
The shift that started years ago has gathered pace as the price of coffee in the international market becomes erratic, with most of the times declining, hurting local farmers.
“I grew up seeing coffee all around me but these days you have to travel for long to find a farm hosting the crop,” Andrew Kariuki, a resident of Kirinyaga said in a recent interview.
“People have shifted to avocado and macadamia because there is hope in the new crops. The prices are good and the market is liberalized, unlike coffee where you have to sell through cooperatives.”
