Kenya’s Top Coffee Producers Honoured, Eye Regional Prize After Record Competition

By John Toris 

Nairobi witnessed a celebration of excellence as the nation’s finest coffee producers were feted at a breakfast awards ceremony for the Taste of Harvest Coffee Competition. The flagship initiative, a key partnership between the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) and the Africa Fine Coffees Association (AFCA), is designed to elevate Kenyan coffee into the world’s premium markets by rigorously rewarding quality.
The event, which united farmers, regulators, and industry partners, underscored a concerted push to revitalise a critical agricultural sub-sector. Official speeches highlighted the competition’s role in showcasing the distinctive flavour and consistency of Kenyan Arabica, which remains internationally renowned. “Your success reflects the excellence, resilience, and innovation that define Kenyan coffee,” representatives from AFA told the award winners.

A significant marker of progress this year was a dramatic surge in participation. A total of 100 coffee samples were submitted for judging, a notable increase from the 56 entries recorded last year. Organisers attributed this 79% rise to the strategic waiver of the standard USD 300 entry fee for non-AFCA members, a move funded by the AFA to encourage broader inclusivity and allow more farmers to showcase their produce on a prestigious platform.

The competition employs the globally recognised Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scoring system, with a panel of expert judges evaluating the entries. This credible framework not only promotes quality excellence but also directly connects top-performing producers to lucrative specialty coffee buyers. Ten winning samples from four categories were awarded and will now represent Kenya at the regional African Taste of Harvest Competition in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in early February.

The celebrations come against a backdrop of ongoing efforts to boost the sub-sector’s output. While coffee supports the livelihoods of over six million people and involves approximately 800,000 smallholder farmers, national production has stagnated at an average of 40,000 to 50,000 metric tonnes annually. In his speech, read by Food Crops Directorate Director Mr. Calistus Kundu, AFA Director General Dr. Bruno Linyiru outlined the government’s multi-pronged strategy to address this.
The interventions include rehabilitating ageing coffee trees, promoting climate-smart farming, improving access to quality inputs, and strengthening extension services. Concurrently, there is a strong focus on value addition and traceability. Dr. Linyiru confirmed the advancement of digitalisation efforts, including work on a National Coffee Information System, to enhance transparency and compliance with evolving international regulations.

Principal Secretary for Agriculture Dr. Kipronoh Ronoh, represented by Director Mr. James Wanjohi, reiterated the crop’s economic importance. He emphasised that quality-based initiatives like Taste of Harvest are critical for improving farmer incomes and solidifying Kenya’s reputation as a leading origin for specialty coffee. The ceremony, attended by AFCA representatives, AFA board members, and sector stakeholders, served as both a recognition of current achievement and a commitment to brewing a more prosperous future for Kenyan coffee.

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