Kenya's coffee production is projected to jump 13.3pc to 850,000 bags in 2025/2026, driven by high global prices and a slowdown in the conversion of coffee farms to real estate.
The average coffee price at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange surged to a record $363 (Sh46915) per 50-kilogramme bag in February 2025, largely due to tight global supply.
Government reforms, including placing the Nairobi Coffee Exchange under the Capital Markets Authority and licensing new brokers, are contributing to the sector's anticipated turnaround.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects a 13.3 per cent growth in Kenya’s coffee production to 850,000 bags in the next marketing period (2025/2026) that begins in October, up from 750,000 bags in the current 2024/2025 period.
The agency, through its foreign agriculture service division, says the expected rebound is informed by the higher coffee prices, the government’s ongoing coffee reform programme, and the slowdown by farmers in converting their coffee plantations into real estate business.
