Coffee farmers asked to diversify

Coffee growers in Nyeri County have been urged to shift to macadamia and avocado farming to cushion themselves against hard times due to unpredictable markets.

Baricho Coffee Farmers Cooperative Society (BCFCS) Chairman Wachira Mwago said growers should devote at least an acre of their farms to alternative crops.

He spoke on Tuesday when he released the 2013/2014 report at a coffee farmers’ special general meeting in Karatina.

“Due to the problems we have faced this year, my board decided to ask you not to rely on one crop. Start planting macadamia and avocados. You should also consider venturing into dairy farming for more income,” said the chairman.

RENTAL BUILDINGS

Mr Mwago, who also chaired a taskforce on coffee farming that was set up by Governor Nderitu Gachagua early last year, also requested the members to use one acre of the society’s land at the Karatina factory for rental buildings or a petrol station for commercial use.

He said the businesses would help reduce the society’s operational costs and contribute towards improving the welfare of members.

Mr Mwago asked the members to be patient as they wait for this year’s coffee payout, which he said would be made before schools reopen for the third term.

The official said he expected better prices this year.

Mr Mwago said members of Karatina, Karindundu, Gaturiri and Gatomboya factories had realised direct coffee sales of $749,712.61 (Sh66 million) at the central auction.

He said the society had not yet received the money for the coffee from direct sales.

The total members’ debt — including picking advances, farm inputs and school fee loans as well as storage charges — amounted to Sh155,827,788.

“This year, we hope all debts will be settled so that we can apply for the facility this year,” said Mr Mwago.

The chairman said although production had increased this year, the quality had declined, with a lower percentage of grade AA coffee being recorded than in previous years.

Grades C, TT and T had also declined in quality, with percentages dropping, compared to the past three years.

He absolved the county government of blame over failure to be at the auction in Nairobi, when coffee prices were higher.

Coffee from Nyeri County was sold late because former marketing agents had taken the governor to court to stop the sale of coffee until they were paid Sh132 million owed by some societies, he explained.

The court ruled that they would be paid in November after the farmers were paid their dues.

Mr Mwago further said some people wrote to buyers in Germany and the United States, claiming that coffee from Nyeri was not of good quality and that there was rampant insecurity in the county.

REFRAIN FROM BUYING

The allegations made the buyers refrain from buying coffee from the county, he added.

For a very long time, the produce from Nyeri had been hoarded by the Kenya Co-operative Coffee Exporters (KCCE) when prices were as high as $651 (Sh57,000) per 50-kilogramme bag and later released for auction when prices were as low as $220 (Sh19,360), says the report.

On May 13, a county assembly committee attended a coffee auction in Nairobi where the produce from KCCE Sagana was being auctioned.

It was shocking to see coffee from Nyeri being auctioned at $218 (Sh19,184) a bag. Societies that took their coffee to the auction earlier, the time the one from Nyeri had been hoarded at Sagana, were paid $456 (Sh40,000), states the report.