This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
Published on December 11, 2019, by REUTERS
Kenya's coffee industry is facing a severe crisis due to rising temperatures and low global prices, forcing many small-scale farmers to abandon their coffee bushes and plant other crops.
Arabica coffee, the high-quality variety grown in Kenya, is highly susceptible to diseases such as coffee leaf rust, which is exacerbated by the increasing temperatures. The average temperature in Kenya has risen by 0.3 degrees per decade since 1985, according to USAID.
Farmer Shadrack Wambua Mutisya, who has been growing coffee for 40 years, has replaced most of his bushes with banana, macadamia, and avocado trees. 'Now we see diseases that we never saw before,' he said.
The erratic rainfall in Kenya is also reducing the quality and yields of coffee. In the 1960s, Kenya averaged one storm day per year, but in 2017, there were five storm days, which damages fragile roots and throws off the ripening cycle.
Kenya produces only 0.5% of global coffee but plays a significant role in the high-quality market. However, the country's coffee production is tumbling, with the US Department of Agriculture forecasting a 57-year low for the 2019/20 harvest.
Many farmers are struggling to make a living due to low prices, which have plunged to 2005 lows of 86 cents per pound. The prices have recovered to $1.18 per pound, but there is still a glut in the market.
Large-scale producers such as Brazil and Vietnam have grabbed more than half of the global market from small-scale speciality producers. Low prices mean farmers cannot invest in planting shade trees, disease-resistant seeds, or new irrigation.
Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi could soon stop growing coffee altogether, said Charles Agwanda, commodities coordinator at the Center for Agriculture and Biosciences International. 'Then it will be a crisis for everyone, including the consumers,' he said.
