a)-The highlands experience high (1000-1500) and well distributed rainfall throughout the year, which is ideal for coffee.
-The soils are deep fertile volcanic type.
-The area experiences cool warm conditions (14-240 ) throughout the year.
-The land has gentle slopes that allow good drainage / well drained soils.
-Highlands have altitude of 900m-2,100m above sea level , ideal for coffee
b)-The crop is attacked by leaf rust/coffee berry diseases (CBD)
-Poor soils / exhausted soils which leads to deteriorating productions in terms of the quantity produced and quality of the beans obtained.
-Adverse weather characterized by unreliable rainfall and prolonged drought causing the young berries to ripen prematurely and fall off resulting in great losses.
-Expensive prices of inputs for example fertilizers and pesticides making it difficult for small holders to afford.
-Mismanagement of co-operatives societies; infighting / splitting of giant co-operative to smaller ones which are uneconomical to run / failure by the societies to distribute fertilizers and sprays in time / delayed payments / embezzled funds by corrupt managers etc frustrate and discourage farmers making many of them to abandon their coffee farms.
-Inadequate capital for farmers to improve their farms which leads to decline in production.
-Fluctuation of coffee prices in the world market, discourages farmers making them to abandon their coffee farms.
-Competition from other crops because of the many problems that coffee farmers are facing make them to uproot coffee trees for other crops.
-Shortage of labor especially during harvesting period leading to some of the ripe berries becoming dry as they are not harvested in time thus fetching lower prices.
Githiari answered the question on September 14, 2017 at 12:19
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