Nairobi — Three coffee quality laboratories will be established in various parts of the country this year under a Sh500 million programme to revitalise the sub-sector.

The labs, known as cupping centres, will be set up in Meru, Kirinyaga and Kisii to help farmers know the quality of their produce before marketing. A similar facility was established at Kimathi University last year as an initiative of the institution, the African Wildlife Foundation and Starbucks Coffee of the US.

Traditionally, co-operative societies have been handing over farmers' produce to millers and marketing agents without first establishing its quality. "We now want co-operative societies to take the full responsibility of quality of their coffee and also appreciate their own cup," said Mr Nyaga Kainga the manager of the quality coffee production and commercialisation programme in Nyeri on Sunday.

Joint venture

The programme is a joint venture between the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Co-operative Development and Marketing, Coffee Research Foundation and Coffee Board of Kenya.

It is funded by the European Union under the export stabilisation fund (Stabex). Six regional coffee brands will also be developed under the initiative and a comprehensive database on the industry set up at the Coffee Board of Kenya.

Mr Kainga said the goal of the project is to raise the country's coffee production from the current 50,000 metric tonnes to about 100,000 metric tonnes in the next two years. The country has a potential of producing 300,000 metric tonnes annually but lack of information among farmers is a major hurdle to achieving this, he said.

According to Mr Kainga, the project will also involve installation of computers in 140 co-operative societies to improve information management. This will enable farmers to access and monitor market information at the click of a button.