Uasin Gishu county is targeting to increase the acreage under coffee production to more than 10,000 acres as farmers increasingly embrace crop diversification.
Governor Jonathan Bii said the county has so far established about 3,000 acres of coffee.
The acreage is expected to rise rapidly through intensified farmer sensitisation and the distribution of quality seedlings.
“Coffee is among the high-value crops that we want our farmers to grow instead of relying on maize farming, which has diminishing returns,” Bii said.
The governor said the county is moving beyond seedling distribution to build a stronger coffee value chain through farmer training, extension support, cooperative development, processing and value addition.
He also committed to facilitating more benchmarking visits for farmers to successful coffee farms across Kenya.
The visits will allow them to gain practical knowledge on modern production, processing, marketing and profitable coffee farming.
The county says the 3,000 acres currently under coffee present significant economic potential for farmers.
According to experts in the coffee sector, based on an average yield of 150kg of coffee cherry per point of land and a selling price of Sh125 per kilogramme, one point of land could generate about Sh18,750. This translates to about Sh1.875 million per acre.
The 3,000 acres represent a potential Sh5.6 billion in gross coffee cherry value per harvest, underscoring the growing importance of coffee in the county’s agricultural ambitions.
Deputy Governor Evans Kapkea said exposing farmers to successful coffee enterprises is an important part of building their capacity and transforming coffee farming into a profitable business.
He said farmers and cooperative leaders who participated in benchmarking visits gained practical knowledge in production, processing, value addition, cooperative management and marketing.
Agriculture, Agribusiness, Livestock and Fisheries executive Sam Kotut said the distribution of quality seedlings is part of a wider strategy to expand coffee production while ensuring farmers receive the technical support needed to establish productive farms.
He emphasised the importance of proper farm management, stronger cooperatives and investment in processing to enable farmers to benefit across the entire coffee value chain.
Under the theme, Brewing Prosperity: Enhancing the Coffee Value Chain for Sustainable Economic Empowerment, the 2026 programme is being implemented across all six sub-counties as part of governor Bii’s Nguzo Kumi plan, with agriculture as the first pillar.
Kesses is set to expand its coffee-growing footprint, with 99,000 quality coffee seedlings being distributed to farmers under the county’s 2026 one-million coffee seedling programme.
Bii said the seedlings have the potential to establish about 99 acres of new coffee plantations, creating opportunities for farmers to diversify their incomes through the high-value crop.
