KALRO COFFEE

Coffee consumption has existed for more than 1,000 years leading to the current status of being the most consumed drink to water with over 33.33 Billion cups per month and most traded commodity after oil as per 2017 statistics. Coffee propagation culture commenced in Arabia as early as 575 in Yemen and later in the 16th century in Persia. Coffee drinking was appreciated in Europe in 1615, after being brought by traders, later Germans, Frenchmen, and Italians who introduced in their colonies. The Dutch introduced a botanical garden of Amsterdam that made and triggered an increase in drinking and defining a culture of the Europeans. Netherland and France's experiences led to the expansion of the coffee cultivation to other European colonies due to the readily available European market.

Coffee sustains over 100 million people globally and is rated among the largest export commodities in the world. Coffea arabica (arabica or highland coffee) and Coffea canephora (Robusta or lowland coffee) are the main coffee species that are commercially grown, however, there are 124 coffee species existing and which have been named to date. Coffee Arabica contributes 70% of produced coffee while Robusta contributes 30% (ICO, 2016). Coffee is to date planted in over 11 million hectares in the world spread over 60 countries in the tropics.

In Kenya, coffee was first planted in 1893 at Bura in Taita hills thereafter it was grown in Kibwezi in 1900 followed by Kiambu in 1904, since then coffee growing was expanded to several areas of Central Kenya, Meru, Kisii, Machakos, Mount Elgon, and Rift Valley.