Prevailing cold weather in Kenya may curb the flowering of coffee trees before next year's early crop, according to farmers. The plants needs at least a month of dry conditions to prepare for the flowering that occurs when rains arrive in October before the so-called fly crop due from April to June, Wycliffe Odhiambo Murwayi, managing director of Nairobi-based Sustainability Kenya Ltd., which works with farmers, said by phone Aug. 4. The extent of flowering on coffee trees determines the yield of the ensuing harvest. "The crop needs a month of dry-weather flowering," Murwayi said. "If cold weather and rains persist, it may affect the crop." Although Kenya isn't a major global producer of the crop, it produces the arabica variety of coffee beans used in specialty drinks such as those made by Starbucks Corp. The East African nation is expected to produce 45,000 metric tons of coffee in the 12 months through September, compared with 38,000 tons a year earlier, according to the country's