Diversifying the Kenyan Coffee Market: A Focus on Asia
Kenya hosted a delegation of Asian buyers on Thursday, 20 February 2025, as part of its intensified efforts to diversify its coffee export markets beyond traditional destinations in Europe and North America.
The Africa Coffee Trade Fair 2025, held over a single day, brought together more than 50 coffee importers from China and South Korea for discussions and trade negotiations with Kenyan producers.
Lucy Njine, a board member of the State-owned Agricultural Food Authority, told reporters that this initiative aims to position Kenyan coffee as a premium product in the lucrative Asian market.
“Rising incomes in Asia present a significant growth opportunity for Kenya’s high-quality specialty coffee,” Njine said.
Kenya’s coffee sector plays a vital role in its economy, as highlighted by recent statistics from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. In 2023, the country produced 48,648 tons of coffee, generating 251.86 million U.S. dollars in exports.
Coffee remains one of Kenya’s top foreign exchange earners, alongside tea and horticulture.
Lisper Ndungu, CEO of the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, noted that expanding into Asian markets will help Kenyan coffee farmers reduce their reliance on North America and Europe, which currently buy more than 70% of Kenyan coffee.
She added that the growing middle class in Asia presents an opportunity to encourage farmers to increase their coffee production and revitalize the sector, which peaked in 1989 with 130,000 tons of production.
Karuga Macharia, Vice Chairman of the African Fine Coffees Association, suggested that Kenya further penetrate the Asian market by promoting direct sales through e-commerce platforms and specialty coffee exhibitions across the region.
This initiative by Kenya to target coffee buyers in China and South Korea underscores a proactive strategy to diversify its export markets. By capitalizing on the growing demand for specialty coffee in Asia, Kenya aims to strengthen its coffee sector and boost its economic growth.
