[Photo: Kenya Trade]
The US Department of Agriculture says Kenya’s coffee production in the 2022-2023 season is projected to decline from 670,000 bags to 750,000 bags.
This is on the back of rising prices of fertilizer.
“Kenya’s 2022/23 coffee production is forecast to decrease by 10 percent due to lower yields caused by reduced fertilizer application,” said the US government.
“Crop 2022/23 planted area is anticipated to remain flat at 105,000 hectares as new plantings are curtailed by a shortage of coffee seeds.”
The US government says the surge in global fertilizer prices was caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was worsened by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Currently, fertilizer prices in Kenya stand at 6,000 shillings per 50 kg bag.
Kenya is the fifth-largest coffee producer in Africa after Ethiopia, Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire and Tanzania, according to the International Coffee Organization.