NAIROBI, Kenya / AfricaWire.IO / – Kenya aims to raise its annual coffee output to 150,000 metric tonnes, with new climate-resilient varieties expected to play a central role. Production is projected at about 60,000 metric tonnes in the 2025/2026 season, well short of that target. Henry Kinyua, who chairs the Coffee Board of Kenya, said researchers had developed promising varieties but inadequate funding had delayed their release. He spoke at the East Africa Coffee Market & Conference (EACMC 2026).
According to Kinyua, Kenya has underinvested in coffee research for two to three decades. “We have not been producing new varieties as we should have been producing,” he said. He added that new varieties would soon be available to farmers. One of them is a reported Arabica-Robusta hybrid known as “Arabusta”, under development at the Coffee Research Institute.
The Coffee Act of 2026 provides for funding to support coffee research and training, Kinyua said. He argued that making the Coffee Research and Training Institute a standalone agency could help mobilise more resources. Greater investment, he said, would accelerate the development of planting materials suited to rising temperatures. Several varieties still need further support before they can be released.
Yields stuck at two kilogrammes per bush
Kinyua said average production per coffee bush has remained around two kilogrammes, despite the potential for much higher yields. Kenya achieved far higher production per bush in the 1980s, he noted. He said output could rise significantly by improving productivity on existing farms and expanding into areas with suitable growing conditions. Seedlings remain in short supply, with annual demand of about 40 million against production of roughly 10 million.
Kiprono Kittony, chairman of the Kenya Airways board, urged the industry to find ways of quadrupling production without increasing the area under cultivation. He said reliable water supplies at farm level and better agronomic support were essential, but many smallholders could not afford water infrastructure. Kittony called on national and county governments to provide greater support. “You must think through everything,” he said, urging farmers to analyse their soils before planting.
Processing and global buyers
Kittony said Kenya needed to invest in post-harvest infrastructure, including wet and dry milling, roasting, packaging and storage. He warned that poor nutrient management could cut yields after the first few harvests, as rising fertiliser costs weigh on African farmers. He also urged the industry to explore confectionery, cosmetics and coffee tourism. Greater domestic consumption could also help, he said.
Edward Githaiga, who represented Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, said quality, traceability and consistency were key to competing internationally. He urged Kenya to promote the unique character of its growing regions so consumers can identify the origin of their coffee. Global coffee chains such as Starbucks have reported strong results this year. Githaiga also called for greater cooperation among African coffee-producing countries to attract buyers and investors.