Kenya moves to produce specialty coffees

The World Bank’s private sector lending arm has set aside Sh14m ($210,000) to train Kenyan farmers on how to produce specialty coffees. Once local liquorers are certified as specialty graders, farmers will be better placed to market their coffee directly to specialty roasters.

Speaking during the opening of a training programme sponsored by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Dr. Peter K Michori, chairman Coffee Board of Kenya, said the inaugural sales of specialty coffee will be launched in early February 2008.

The five-day course attracted 20 chief and senior liquorers from commercial marketing agents and dealers. The training is part of a joint project between IFC, Coffee Board of Kenya and Coffee Research Foundation to link specialty coffee market buyers with producers via the direct sales window.

Michori says that Kenyan coffee enjoys a competitive edge due to its high quality, despite making up only one per cent of the world’s coffee. "When Kenya coffee is subjected to specialty grade assessment methods and certified, it will fetch better prices in the international market," he said.

Michori says the project is also providing technical assistance to 100 coffee factories to produce specialty grade coffee for the inaugural sales in February. In addition, the project will train coffee producers on marketing and quality management, and support the Specialty Coffee Growers Association of Kenya to develop a strategic plan and a website to market members’ coffee.

The grading system, developed by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) defines standards for cup quality and is a highly effective method for identifying quality coffees. The graded coffee will be marketed via a web-based portal run by the Coffee Quality Institute, described in a format known as Q-certificates. Coffee Quality Institute was founded by SCAA in 1996 to advise farmers on producing specialty coffee.

The Standard