.jfif)
The government has said it has disbursed
Sh4.95 billion to coffee farmers through the Cherry Advance Revolving Fund over
the last two years.
Government spokesperson Isaac
Mwaura said in a statement on Thursday that the amount was distributed to over
365,000 farmers across 26 coffee-growing counties in the country.
“The New-Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (N-KPCU) has in the last
two years distributed credit totalling Sh4.95 billion to 365,872 coffee farmers
spread across the 26 coffee-growing counties through the Coffee Cherry Advance
Revolving Fund.
“In Central region, the four coffee growing counties of Kiambu,
Kirinyaga, Murang'a and Nyeri received a total of Sh2.309 billion, benefiting
182,827 farmers,” he said.
Mwaura added that in the current financial year, a Sh2 billion coffee
debt waiver will be granted to all 26 coffee-producing counties.
The Cherry fund, according to the government spokesperson, has led
to an increase in coffee production in the country.
"There was also an increased coffee milling activity
nationally, at the N-KPCU mills, with 8,470 metric tonnes of coffee milled in
the 2023-24 financial year, against 878 tonnes in the 202-23 financial year."
The Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund was established to
provide an affordable, sustainable and accessible cherry advance to smallholder
coffee farmers tilling less than 20 acres of land.
The fund does not accrue interest
but farmers are charged a one-off three per cent administrative fee.