Kenyan Coffee May Lose Global Appeal Due to Chemical Pollution

Chemical amounts of Ochratoxin have surpassed the minimum permissible, resulting in rejection at the border points of the two asian countries.

The coffee, which is widely sought after by roasters for mixing with lower quality beans from other parts of the world, has been banned for three years with local stakeholders now raising fears that if this continues the commodity might face a complete ban.

The Kenya Coffee Producers Association wants the government to deal with the issue, arguing that it could also have a negative impact on other importing countries.

“The flagging of Kenyan coffee by the key markets due to high levels of contamination does not augur well for the sector. The government has to move fast in addressing this challenge,” said Peter Gikonyo, the association’s chairperson.

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Statistics for 2017/2018 suggest that South Korea accounted for 12% of coffee exports from Kenya, fourth behind Germany, the United States and Belgium.

Mr. Gikonyo reported that some of the reasons for the flagging may be gaps in coffee agrochemicals certification procedures, insufficient farmers’ ability in post-harvest crop handling, and gaps in coffee export and compliance regulations.

The producers also voiced concerns about the measures put in place by the government to curb the spread of Covid-19, stating that the output of the commodity had been affected.

“The measures have increased cost of production, compromised quality, reduced demand of coffee and increased cost of logistics,” said Mr Gikonyo.

He said the pandemic has intensified the already bad situation, given that, at the beginning of the year before Covid-19, world coffee prices were already down.

Kenyan coffee production has decreased from a peak of 130,000 tons realized in the late 1980s to 40,000 tons at present. Most small-scale coffee farmers currently produce less than 2 kg per tree annually, compared to the yearly production potential of 35 kg per tree.