Will New Wave Of Reforms Rescue Coffee From Turmoil?
From: standardmedia.co.ke
The next few years could be a defining moment for Kenya’s coffee sector. The industry, once a leading foreign exchange earner, has over the years been on a free fall, owing to low returns and mismanagement.
Key industry players now fear a further reduction in production might see the Kenyan ‘jewel’ become unattractive to international buyers who purchase the beans directly from the country. These low yields could see global buyers use the middlemen instead. The sector is littered with brokers who have been blamed for the low earnings that farmers have been making. More middlemen could spell a disaster for the sector. It is against such concerns that government reforms have to work and improve production levels and yields.
