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In this lesson we are going to compare cultivation of coffee in Kenya and Brazil

Answer Text:
Comparison between Coffee Farming in Kenya and Brazil
Similarities
- Kenya and Brazil grow similar varieties of coffee i.e. Arabica and Robusta.
- Coffee is grown in small and large scale in both countries.
- Coffee farming in both countries is affected by falling prices in the world market.
- Coffee experiences stiff competition from other producing nations in both countries.
- Coffee faces competition from other well-paying crops in both countries e.g. horticultural crops in Kenya and maize and Soya in Brazil.
- Problem of soil exhaustion is common in both countries.
- Coffee farming is scientifically managed in both countries e.g. spraying, application of fertilizers and advanced research.
- In both countries the governments are involved in coffee marketing.
- Brazil exports coffee to the same countries as Kenya e.g. Britain, Germany, etc. - Cultivation and processing in both countries is done in much
the same way.

Differences
- In Brazil work is done by tenants while in Kenya it’s done by family members or casual labourers.
- Brazil earns more foreign exchange from coffee than Kenya.
- In Kenya only ripe berries are picked while in Brazil ripe and unripe berries are picked due to little supervision which affects the quality of coffee.
- In Brazil, coffee is mainly grown on plateaus while in Kenya it’s mainly grown in the highlands.
- In Brazil farmers are faced with the climatic hazard of frost which is not experienced in Kenya.
- Brazilian government encourages diversification while Kenyan government doesn’t.
- Brazil’s coffee production is higher than Kenya’s so it’s allocated a bigger quota in the world market.
- In Brazil there are two sets of labourers while in Kenya the same set of labourers do all the work.
- In Brazil there is a good network of roads and railways connecting plantations to export ports while in Kenya transport system requires to be
improved.
- In Kenya coffee is grown in soils such as red volcanic soils while in Brazil it’s grown mainly in terrarossa soils which are quite good for
coffee.
- In Kenya most coffee is produced by small scale holders while in Brazil it’s by large holders.
- In Brazil little attention is paid to soil fertility leading to soil exhaustion and erosion while in Kenya there is application of fertilizers and
manure and control of erosion.