At least 10,000 coffee farmers in Kiambu county are set to benefit from 300 tons of fertiliser from the county government.
The free farm inputs according to Governor Kimani Wamatangi, are aimed at boosting coffee production in the region and ensure the coffee produced is of high quality.
The governor who spoke while disbursing the fertiliser to Ng’enda and Ndarugu ward farmers in Gatundu South subcounty, said each farmer went home with 10kgs of fertiliser.
Wamatangi said farmers from the 22 coffee cooperatives in the county will get the special blended fertiliser.
He said his government seeks to boost coffee farming from two-kilogram per bush per year, to at least five kilos in the same duration thereby improving the returns of farmers.
“Our aim is to increase the county’s coffee production while adhering to high quality of the cherries to enable them fetch better prices in the market. This is why we are distributing essential farm inputs to our farmers so that they can increase production and get high returns from their farming,” he said.
The county chief noted high cost of farm inputs like fertiliser, infiltration of the coffee sector by cartels and lack of proper markets, are some of the key reasons most farmers in the region were abandoning coffee farming.
He lamented that despite coffee being one of Kenya’s top foreign income earners, most farmers have been languishing in poverty despite toiling hard in their farms only to reap low returns in a year.
He said his administration is determined to revive the coffee sector and make it lucrative for farmers in Kiambu.
“Coffee has been one of the top foreign income earners in the country for decades and it is one of the commodities that have made Kiambu what it is now. But the value for coffee has significantly declined due to a myriad of problems. We are keen to solve the problems and restore the sector’s lost glory,” he said.
The county boss at the same time revealed that the programme that will cost about Sh30 million, will also see farmers doing other crops receive equal amounts of fertiliser which will help make the county food secure.
At the same time, the county is also distributing 47,000 avocado seedlings to farmers across the county to help farmers diversify their earnings.
“We want to diversify revenue streams for our farmers so that they can generate a decent living and for the sake of improving their living standards,” Wamatangi said.
Distribution of free fertiliser to Kiambu farmers happened a day after the conclusion of a coffee summit in Meru that sought to entrench reforms in the sector.
Ng’enda MCA Joe Kigara urged the County government to consider rolling out a programme that will enable farmers access extension services to improve their farming.
“We want our farmers to have access to agricultural experts such as agronomists so as to facilitate them with crucial agricultural information dissemination that is key to increased production,” he said.
Farmers lauded the Kiambu County government for the initiative saying the farm inputs will go a long way in boosting their production.
Led by Magomano coffee factory chairman John Kinyua, the farmers said costly farm inputs, lack of market for their produce as well as unscrupulous traders in the sector has been a huge blow to their farming.
“If accorded the necessary support, we can take coffee farming to the next level in the next two years. Most farmers left the once lucrative sector after cartels took over the market. We are however ready to revive the sector with the support of the government,” Kinyua said.