- Chelugui announced an increment of the coffee cherry fund from Sh.2 billion to Sh.6 billion.
- As a result, he announced a minimum price of a kilo of coffee at Sh 80, a move he said is meant to encourage farmers to invest more in coffee production.
Image: VERONICA NTHAKYO
Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and Small Micro and Medium Enterprises Simon Chelugui was in Mbooni, Makueni on Tuesday to sensitize farmers on coffee reforms geared towards revamping the sector.
While addressing the press, Chelugui announced an increment of the coffee cherry fund from Sh.2 billion to Sh.6 billion.
As a result, he announced a minimum price of a kilo of coffee at Sh 80, a move he said is meant to encourage farmers to invest more in coffee production.
The CS, however, decried a major decline in coffee production nationwide, from 141,000 to 25,000 metric tons in the last 3 years, explaining the urgent need for the coffee sector reforms.
Other reforms include reviving the Coffee Research Foundation (CRF) and Coffee Board of Kenya.
CRF will undertake specialized research in all problems affecting coffee production while the Coffee Board of Kenya will undertake promotion, market research and product development initiatives for Kenya coffee in the domestic and international markets.
On his part, governor Mutula pledged his unwavering support to coffee farmers and committed to partner with the National Government to make the sector a lucrative venture for farmers
Further, Mutula Jr beseeched President William Ruto to waive the farmers' outstanding loans owed by various millers which he revealed run into millions of shillings, terming the loans as a major setback in coffee profitability to local farmers.
Jackson Mulinge, a 67 Coffee farmer in Mbooni, urged the county government to deploy more extension Officers to the ground to sensitize and guide them accordingly for a better harvest.
Mercylline Kimeu is a farmer from Mbooni, she applauded the Government for availing subsidised coffee but urged that they check into it to ensure it is the one for coffee, she said they need 1717 fertiliser so that they can get the best produce.
"We received the subsidized fertiliser but it is not for coffee it is for the normal crops. We urge that government delivers specifically fertiliser for coffee, " noted Mercylline.
Muli Mbithi has 57 years in the cultivation of coffee.
He says that they have not been making any profits in coffee for they sell their produce at a throwaway price never to get profit to plant more.
Muli mentioned that they have a cooperative called Kikima Farmers' Cooperative Association and that any benefits should come through their group.
The cooperatives have 15000 members who exercise coffee farming daily and they believe if the government lowers the pesticides for coffee to be achievable then they can produce huge yields and boost their living standards.