Researchers have raised concerns over coffee farms being replaced by real estate.

Consequently, they appealed to players in the sector to save the cash crop, noting that coffee farming is a profitable venture.

Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) Deputy Director for Crops Felister Makini said although the government has no control over the conversion of coffee farms into housing estates,  the trend can be checked by enabling farmers to reap big.

“If more people are turning their farms into real estate, there is nothing we can do about it, but coffee farming is still a lucrative activity and there is a need to do more promotion because they are looking at the money,

“So if we can prove to farmers that they can make money through coffee farming they will remain with the crop. That is the challenge we have because people are not looking at agriculture as a productive venture,” said Dr Makini.

She spoke during the Kalro Delan Coffee Fare and open research week at the Coffee Research Institute (CRI) in Ruiru, Kiambu County, which brought together farmers from across the country and other stakeholders.

“There is a need for more promotional campaigns so as to bring out the social-economic aspect for people to understand why they should not replace their coffee with houses,” Makini stated.

Coffee Research Institute Director Elijah Gichuru noted that traditional coffee growing areas are under threat from urbanisation, but added that agricultural researchers are looking for new areas to introduce the crop.

“Coffee growing areas are under threat from real estate but this gives us an opportunity to expand into other regions to increase the national acreage under the crop,” Dr Gichuru added.

He said potential coffee zones include Uasin Gishu, Nandi and the maize, sugarcane and tea growing regions in western Kenya and other parts of the country.

He appealed to the youth to embrace coffee farming as a source of employment or incomes.

He said the notion that coffee farming is for the older generation was misguided, given that there are many employment opportunities in the sector.

“We also need to address what the youth don’t like in agricultural activities which includes the frequency of payments and the laborious nature of weeding, so that we make it more attractive to them,” said Gichuru.

Assistant County Commissioner Murera sub county, Ms Hellen Mukiri appealed to small scale coffee farmers to increase their yields in order to earn more from the crop.