Industries in Nyamira County
Chabera Coffee Factory: Cherry to Cuppa-Joe
Coffee in Nyamira County? And its plenty, too!. Overshadowed by the thriving tea industry, coffee has been a key cash crop here for the better part of eight decades. Coffee was first planted in Kenya at Bura in Taita Hills in 1893, and soon after circa 1900 at Kibwezi. Kenya’s romance with coffee was brewing. As the procedures improved, it made its way to Kiambu around 1904. Then, in the 1930’s, following the Devonshire White Paper Report of 1923, the colonial administration allowed controlled planting outside of European settled areas, in Kisii, Nyamira and Meru.
By the time Kenya attained her independence in 1963, the coffee industry was booming. In Nyamira County, as was the case in all the other regions, it played a significant role in the economy. Today, coffee is grown in 33 counties of Kenya. More than 600,000 smallholders, farming about 5 acres each, compose 99% of the coffee industry. These farmers are organized into hundreds of cooperatives, all of which operate at least one factory. The factories employ strict sorting practices at cherry intake, and most have had the same operation controls for decades.
At Chabera enroute Sondu, the motorist with a few hours to spare can drop in at Chabera Coffee Factory to learn more about coffee in Nyamira and Homa Bay counties. Coffee tours can be such a treat! Whether you’re a coffee aficionado or just appreciate a good cup, there’s something special about seeing the journey from cherry to cuppa-joe. From strolling through the lush coffee plantations to exploring the drying centers, you get to learn something new. Plus, you get to learn about the cultural and historical significance of coffee farming in the region.
Coffee is handpicked, delivered to the factory where it is sorted then soaked overnight in tanks. It is then dried on raised drying beds, and during the rainy season it is dried in covered green-house like structures on raised beds. It’s a unique experience that can really deepen your appreciation for that morning cup of joe! Depending on the time of year you go, the tours vary. The main harvest months in Kenya are November/December and cupping for selection begins in January. Either way a factory outlet is at hand to shop for souvenir and gifts.
At the same time, it prudent to note coffee in Kenya is on a downward wend. In Nyamira County, coffee farmers are opting out of the practice to take advantage of the expanding hospitality industry in region that has grown demand for fruits, in particular bananas and pawpaws. Ergo the ever-rising cost of coffee production shouldered by farmers has discouraged most of them. Aware of this trend, coffee farmers in Nyamira have been urged to embrace the farm input stimulus package E-subsidy programme in order to boost overall cherry production in the region.
Touring Nyamira County offers a glimpse into the natural heritage of western Kenya, and cultural encounter with the charismatic Abagusii community. At Keroka, Otenyo Cultural Group Center offers insights into their traditions and customs. Generally speaking, Nyamira County is agrarian, typified by rolling hills.
You Are Here: Chabera Coffee Factory
Where to Next?
Explore Destinations Near Chabera Coffee Factory
A Guide to Nyamira County
A Summa Digest of Nyamira
About Nyamira Way Back When
18 Destinations in Nyamira County, arranged as one would visit these - southeast, west then north - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
Amanzi Resort, Kibugat Hill, Kipkebe Tea Estate, The Henri Boma, Eyaka Falls, Nyakwana [Keera] Falls, Kegogi Market, Nyamira Falls, Nkoora Hill, Bonyunyu Dam, Keroka, Otenyo Cultural Group Center, Manga Ridge, Otenyo Nyamaterere Shrine, Manga Hills, River Gucha, Kiabonyoru Hill, Chabera Coffee Factory, River Sondu Bridge
Know More About Nyamira County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including a distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
Nyamira is precipitous, from undulating to rolling, with flat-topped ridges alternating with bottomlands. Much of the land within Nyamira has been put under heavy cultivation.
The maximum day and minimum night temperatures are normally between 28o C and about 10oC respectively, translating to an average temperature of 19 Degrees C.
