Join cooperatives to benefit from cherry fund, coffee farmers told
What you need to know:
- Mr Kinyua said only farmers in cooperatives or those who use the corporate to sell their produce are eligible for the fund.
- Estate coffee farmers must be affiliated to New KPCU in order to benefit from the fund.
- Farmers are to receive Sh20 per kilogramme of cherry they deliver in a factory and Sh40 per kilo delivered to millers.
- Mr Kibaara warned against coffee hawking saying it will not be tolerated.
Farmers have been urged to join cooperative societies in order to benefit from the Sh3 billion cherry advance fund meant to bolster coffee farming in the country.
In a sensitisation forum held in Nyeri, the New Kenya Planter Cooperative Union (New KPCU) Chairman Henry Kinyua said that only farmers in cooperatives or those who use the corporate to sell their produce are eligible for the fund.
Estate coffee farmers must be affiliated to New KPCU in order to benefit from the fund.
“Cherry deliveries for societies will act as collateral for farmers while for the estates they must have a certain percentage of deliveries to the union to stand for the same. Security will be coffee,” Mr Kinyua said when he addressed officials of 23 societies at the Nyeri National Polytechnic.
The meeting was convened to enlighten farmers on the revolving fund while encouraging farmers to apply for the money which is now available.
Farmers are to receive Sh20 per kilogramme of cherry they deliver in a factory and Sh40 per kilo delivered to millers. They will accrue a three per cent interest.
Money direct to farmers
Mr Kinyua reiterated that the money will be channelled to the farmers’ bank accounts or phone numbers and not through the cooperatives.
He further dispelled fears that the New KPCU will monopolise milling and marketing of coffee, noting that farmers are at liberty to choose their miller and marketer.
“Farmers in all coffee growing zones will make their own choice and no one will be coerced to deliver their produce to us in order to access the money,” he said.
He added that farmers will receive money equivalent to their produce.
Nyeri County Commissioner Lyford Kibaara warned managers of cooperatives that they will be held personally responsible if coffee thefts are reported in their areas.
He urged them to liaise with security agencies whenever they have coffee in their warehouses.
Mr Kibaara warned against coffee hawking saying it will not be tolerated.
