Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has revealed that cartels are attempting to sabotage the government's plans for coffee reforms.
Addressing the media in Karen on Friday, the DP said the road to reforms has seen many disruptions by the cartels.
"It is not a smooth sail and it may take a little longer. Cartels are working hard against us. Since the coffee conference in Meru, the market has been disrupted in major ways to disrupt the farmers' trust in these reforms," Gachagua said.
However, the DP vowed that the Kenya Kwanza government will remain unbowed on the coffee reforms.
"I want to reassure the farmers that the government will not be intimidated to coil," Gachagua said.
"When the President said we address challenges affecting the coffee sub-sector, we were aware there would be sabotage by interested parties. I want to assure farmers that the fight is not over."
The DP said with the goodwill of President William Ruto, the farmer has nothing to worry about.
To bring sanity to the sub-sector, there has been a raft of changes among them the Direct Settlement System through the Cooperative Bank of Kenya which has been implemented to ensure the farmer is paid on time.
Counties will license millers while the auction will be under the Capital Market Authority for stronger governance. On the other hand, the Agriculture and Food Authority will license buyers.
The DP told farmers to be patient for one to one and half years for the government to sort out the coffee challenges.
“We want our coffee farmers to be able to sell their coffee directly. There is a big disparity in the global coffee prices and what our farmers are getting,” he said, adding that coffee farmers have been getting a raw deal and this needs to change.
Some of the key issues the Coffee Bill will be seeking to address as mentioned by the DP include, the return of the Coffee Board of Kenya to support farmers, the revival of the new Kenya Planters Cooperative Union to help farmers in milling and shun milling losses and fishy dealing in the grading of coffee.
This is in addition to capacity building and strengthening the Coffee Research Institute in Ruiru, Kiambu.
