Region: Kenya News

Coffee miller looks beyond Central Kenya for market
The fight for a slice of the coffee market in western Kenya and the Rift Valley is set to intensify with the entry of a new miller in the region.

Central Kenya Coffee Mills is set to move there as forecasts show increased production.

The miller joins Thika Coffee Millers, Sasini Coffee, Socfinaf, and KPCU. After establishing themselves in the main coffee production areas of Central and Eastern provinces, coffee millers and marketers are now fighting for a larger share of coffee from Western and Rift Valley provinces.

The region, which produced 10.2 per cent of the total output in 2007/2008 has been attracting players in the industry as future forecasts show increased production.

Figures from the Crops/Farms survey carried out by the Coffee Research Foundation show that Western Kenya produced 2,090 metric tonnes of coffee while the Rift Valley produced 2,249 metric tonnes in 2007/2008.