Marketing of Kenyan coffee is set to get a boost after the government came up with a Cofee Kenya Mark of Origin to set it apart in the global arena.
It will now be possible for buyers anywhere in the world to identify the country’s high quality coffee from any supermarket shelf after millers affix the mark on their packages.
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei said the mark, a designation placed on a product or its wrapping by a manufacture would give the cash crop visibility in the domestic as well as in the international market.
“The Kenya Mark of Origin and branding of our coffee is long overdue. We must rise up and take advantage of this opportunity and create more value for our coffee,” said Mr Koskei ahead of a formal launch of the marketing tool.
The Mark of Origin serves to increase the manufacturers’ responsibility for the quality of its product. Before a certificate is issued, an audit is carried to ensure that the manufacturer meets the stringent best practice standards set by the industry regulator.
Currently, only four Kenyan institutions- Dormans, Kenya Nut Company, Kimathi University of Technology and Super Gibs Ltd- have applied and successfully attained the Coffee Kenya Mark of Origin.
Grenville Melli, Interim Head of Coffee Directorate at the ministry called upon more manufacturers to apply for the mark to enjoy the benefits that come with greater visibility.
“Branding encourages marketing of Kenya coffee as a single origin product which will have a higher value to benefit the producers,” he said.
The mark of origin comes at a time when coffee prices are picking up in the international market after a long period of poor prices and mismangement at the local level which had seen many growers cut down their coffee bushes.
In 2013, the Kenya coffee industry earned the country Ksh 19 billion worth of foreign exchange. It is estimated that more than five million Kenyans directly depend on the cash crop.
