New data from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) highlights Laikipia and Taita Taveta as Kenya’s fastest-growing coffee production zones in the 2022/23 crop year.
Laikipia recorded the highest increase in acreage at 32.8 per cent, followed by Taita Taveta (20 per cent), Elgeyo Marakwet (17.2 per cent), Siaya (16.2 per cent), and Baringo (15.3 per cent).
These non-traditional coffee-growing regions, once dominated by sisal, sugarcane, maize, beans, and bananas, are gradually shifting to coffee as investor interest grows.
Overall, the country’s coffee acreage expanded by 1.43 per cent, rising from 111,902 hectares in 2022/23 to 113,503 hectares. The increase was largely attributed to the entry of new regions into coffee farming.
However, traditional strongholds such as Kiambu and Murang’a saw acreage declines, as more farmers transitioned to real estate and other lucrative crops like avocado.
Despite the drop, Kiambu still leads nationally in total acreage, followed by Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Murang’a, Meru, and Bungoma.
