The New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (New KPCU) and the Dedan Kimathi University in Nyeri have signed a collaboration agreement for coffee development in an event presided over by Cooperative CS Simon Chelugui.
Chelugui said the agreement will empower the two institutions to progress in building capacity for coffee farmers, student training and industrial attachment programs, research and technology development and technology transfer.
He said the collaborative efforts will be instrumental in driving innovation, increasing productivity and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the coffee sector.
“I urge farmers to seize this opportunity and go back to the farms and grow coffee and avocados besides participating in other priority value chains to increase their incomes and consequently play a role in the growth of the economy,” said the CS.
He said the collaboration between the two institutions will achieve remarkable success in revitalizing the coffee industry and creating opportunities for growth and prosperity.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the partners involved in making the collaboration a reality,” Chelugui said.
He said the coffee reforms are on course and already bearing fruits including the Sh4 billion additional Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund that has been provided to the NKPCU to distribute to farmers which increased advances from Sh20 to Sh80 per kilo of cherry delivered.
Chelugui said the coffee reforms aim to increase production from the current 51,852 metric tons per year to 200,000 metric tons within five years.
The CS said he was happy that the reforms are already paying farmers dividends with increasing coffee prices at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NSE).