Kenya Field Report 2018

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Published: 23/11/18

Duration: 2 min read

 

We visited our exclusive two farms, Mbokam and Ivory, and a row of other single farmers this week. All located in a sweet spot along Kii river which divides two precious coffee zones: Embu and Kirinyaga. You all know Kii Washing Station - we have been featuring this coffee for several years in a row. Mbokam (Embu) and Ivory (Kirinyaga) are neighbours to Kii Washing Station. So effectively you are getting the same microregion but with much more specific cup profiles. This year a large part of Kenya was affected by abnormal weather patterns. What was supposed to be a high yielding season is now down to up to 70% in some areas due to a high rate of CBD (Coffee Berry Disease). Good farmers that are feeding their coffee trees well, kept them healthy and well pruned, suffered less than others.

Mbokam and Ivory did well and lost only 20-30% on their expectation. We will see the final numbers when the harvest is done in mid January 2019. Shortage of labour / pickers is a major problem as well. Sustainable farmers that treat their workers well and offer extras such as free meals have an advantage and less of a problem. Building close relationships with our single estates is key for us and to them. Knowing that they achieve a price that is well above their cost of production gives them the stability they need to focus on what they are good at: Producing amazing coffees for us!

Cyber Weekend Special: From Black Friday until Cyber Monday we are offering you our Mbokam Twin Box, starring our Mbokam AA and AB grade beans, at a great price. As this weekend also marks the start of much colder temperatures, we will be contributing 10% of sales to the Kältebus Berlin, and 20 kilograms of coffee to the Kälte-Notübernachtung. Click here!