Kenya Field Visit Dec 2009

For the first time I was leading a group of several roasters on a field trip around Kenya. We arrived on the weekend and visited the African wildlife Foundation’s famous Giraffe sanctuary and the Karen Blixen Museum and coffee shop – the perfect way to acclimatise ourselves.

We drove an hour North from Nairobi to Thika to visit first a pioneering locally owned Cashew & Macadamia Nut growing / picking / processing factory. Next we pressed on to a neighbouring coffee estate, (approx 6000 feet or 1900 meters above sea level). Kia Ora has some of the longest established and best tended coffee trees in Kenya.

Coffee grown here is of SL varieties with some Ruiru 11s and some French Mission (bourbon). These farms were amongst the earliest settled by the British in the interwar years. The farm is very well equipped with a nursery. Leaves and cropped branches were mulched on the ground. We then visited Kenya’s premier Coffee Mill (just happened to be neighbouring the estate and owned by the same family) where we saw drying, processing and grading. Coffee is bagged here for export. Later we joined the quality control team in their lab to cup the various export grades. Coffee processed here comes from estates and co-ops across the Thika, Nyeri, Meru & Embu regions. They can offer micro lots, vacuum-packed 24kg cartons and organic and fairtrade although NOT possible to source double certified coffees.

These coffees would be a great alternative to the more widely known estates, perhaps over represented in overseas markets.

The following day we drove West out of Nairobi to the verdant highlands of Limuru to visit a Tea factory. The area is known for both coffee and tea. The estate around the factory even has a tree nursery producing timber to fuel the driers. Out growers supply the tea factory increasing economies of scale.

This was a long day in the car, to Solai to see a Tea estate and factory (which we are advised is the smallest in the world) as well as its neighbouring coffee farm. Later in the day we went to another estate situated on the edge of the Aberdare national park, Interesting to see that commercial horticulture is also taking place on a previously 100% coffee estate. A direct result of the low green coffee prices not so long ago. The estate has its own washing, pulping and drying facilities with only the final export grading taking place off site. Coffee here is well tended and we saw grafting, nurseries, a pulpery and the classic Kenyan drying tables. Coffee is grown in blocks and can be purchased as such. This is evidence of a very high level of traceability.

We also visited a Co-op in Nyeri to see the projects they have and the washing & pulping station. Smallholder farmers intercropping with subsistence crops like beans, maize, bananas, sugar cane and other cash crops like chillies and tomatoes. Varieties grown are SLs, Catuai, Ruiru 11s and only basic processing taking place. This coffee is one of our best sellers. The parchment is transported to mills in Nairobi or elsewhere for grading and preparation for export.

Finally, we managed to visit Kenya’s world famous Masai Mara National Park.

As Simon would say ‘Tusker is the best beer’. Waved goodbye to sunshine, coffee plus Rhinos and elephants and a welcome home to delayed flights, snow and warm English beer!