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Description

Small holder Coffee farmers in Nyamira County have a history of selling products at a relatively low market value owing to very limited value addition or none at all. This is not sustainable, as it forces growers to push the land and themselves past a healthy threshold just to survive economically. Many in the industry perhaps understand value addition to mean just putting the raw processed green coffee in a consumer packet and sending it overseas.

There is need to develop a culture of value addition to the agricultural products in the county in order to reap maximum benefits because it will enable all players within the entire coffee value chain to advance economically as opposed to the current situation where the coffee sales is serving the interests of raw material importers in the industrialized markets that Nyamira has for long referred to as its traditional markets.

Value-addition for coffee range from very intricately processed and packaged, to simple additions or processes that can add to the worth of the final product. The Coffee Value addition activities start at the very basic level yet very crucial in determining the final quality of the end product. Such activities include essentials such as appropriate land preparation, fertilizer application, pests and diseases control and management, primary processing, secondary processing & facilities maintenance.

All the Nyamira Coffee undergoes primary processing using the wet processing method to produce coffee parchment raw beans that are sun dried at the factory level. 
The current production level is at (primary processing) 5,000 metric tonnes done in 8 Coffee societies with 19 factories.

Nyamira County grows world class coffee, and if it is to be value added to world standards for market, then the facilities doing so must equally be world class.

Partnership

The coffee investment can be done jointly with the County Government of Nyamira, the private investor and the Coffee societies who represent the small scale farmers

Ways to Add Market Value to Nyamira Coffee

1. Grow organic Coffee - many buyers in the export market  will happily pay 30 -60% more for better taste and health, in line with the emerging trends and lifestyle in the major target export markets
2. Sell the Nyamira Coffee as a recognizable brand (Branding of Nyamira Coffee)
3. Sell direct and deliver to high-end consumers such as restaurants and hotels who put a premium on freshness.
4. Focus on Nyamira Coffee as product with unique, special qualities due to the soil in which it is grown, altitude and special climatic niche.
5. Production of Nyamira coffee beverages; Ready mix coffee beverage; Coffee-milk
6. Process coffee as a Source of dietary fibre
7. Charcoal production from the coffee husks;
8. Mushroom cultivation support from the factory by product;

Economic importance of Coffee Value addition

Value-addition to products improves the County economic situation, as well as improving the livelihood of the County residents. This will also make the County be more creative in entrepreneurship and Market the Nyamira Coffee better than wholesaler for raw materials for more revenues and family income improvement.

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