Jm. Njoroge et Jk. Kimemia, CURRENT INTERCROPPING OBSERVATIONS AND FUTURE-TRENDS IN ARABICA COFFEE, KENYA, Outlook on Agriculture, 22(1), 1993, pp. 43-48
Coffee contributes about 30% of the total domestic earnings and is cur
rently third after tourism and tea as a foreign exchange earner in Ken
ya. Current production and the expected trend in view of the constrain
ts imposed on the industry by the present free market situation are di
scussed. Methods adopted to overcome these constraints are mentioned,
with particular reference to intercropping strategies. The macadamia/c
offee system, food crops/coffee systems and desmodium cover crop syste
ms are discussed. The possibilities of intercropping with such crops a
re indicated, especially annual food crops in the first two years of c
offee establishment and in the coffee tree conversion period. Future t
rends in coffee intercropping studies are proposed.