Over 200,000 young farmers trained in Ruiru, Kiambu County as government rolls out coffee revival plan to triple production

Over 200,000 farmers across the country are set to benefit from a new government initiative aimed at revitalizing Kenya’s coffee industry.

The National Coffee Revival Program, spearheaded by the government through the New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (New KPCU), has kicked off intensive training for young and small-scale farmers at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) station in Ruiru, Kiambu County.

The program brings together participants from leading coffee-growing regions including Kiambu, Murang’a, Embu, Nyandarua, Tharaka Nithi, and Kitui counties. It focuses on equipping farmers with modern coffee production skills such as farm management, pest and disease control, soil and water conservation, and post-harvest handling.

According to the Coffee Directorate, Kenya’s coffee output has plummeted from 129,000 metric tonnes in the 1980s to about 50,000 tonnes in 2024. The decline has been linked to challenges such as climate change, corruption, mismanagement of cooperatives, and limited access to affordable credit and quality inputs.

Through the revival program, the government aims to triple production to at least 150,000 metric tonnes in the coming years.

New KPCU Managing Director Timothy Mirugi said the initiative is training ward-level representatives who will transfer the knowledge to local farmers. He noted that the adoption of improved coffee varieties like Batian and Ruiru 11 known for high yields and disease resistance will be key to the sector’s recovery.

Mirugi further encouraged Kenyans to increase domestic coffee consumption, which currently stands at just three percent of total output, to create more local value chains in roasting, packaging, and retail.

Coffee Research Institute Director Elijah Gichuru said the revival effort seeks not only to restore Kenya’s global reputation for premium Arabica coffee but also to uplift the livelihoods of more than five million Kenyans who depend on the crop.

The two-week training in Ruiru marks the start of a nationwide capacity-building drive to make coffee farming more profitable and appealing to younger generations.