Kenya seeks Sh5.7bn to boost 800 coffee firms
A coffee farmer tends her crop at Githiru village in Nyeri County. Governors in coffee growing counties are fighting to control the milling and marketing of the crop in a move they say will put more money in farmers’ pockets. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Mr Munya said that the renovation of pulping factories will come with modern security systems to end coffee theft.
- The CS said that most of the coffee thefts are planned by insiders to impoverish the farmer.
- The government launched Sh1.5 billion coffee revitalisation programme in April targeting eight counties.
Kenya is sourcing for Sh5.7 billion from the World Bank for rehabilitation of about 800 coffee pulping factories as part of the crop’s revitalisation programme.
Agriculture CS Peter Munya said the money is expected to be available in the next three months.
Mr Munya said the money will go towards putting up modern equipment and pulping lines in factories to improve the quality of coffee delivered for milling.
“Once the World Bank provides the money, we will install fermentation tanks, drying beds, digital weighing scales and modern pulping machines to make our factories efficient,” Mr Munya said.
He noted the new coffee pulping machines use less water and produce higher quality produce. Under the initiative, farmers will earn more from their cherry.
Mr Munya said that the renovation of pulping factories will come with modern security systems to end coffee theft.
The CS said that most of the coffee thefts are planned by insiders to impoverish the farmer.
“The funding will be used to install CCTV cameras and alarms, which will help deter theft. The security guards will not have any excuse if theft occurs. The cartels who have been staging these crimes will have nowhere to hide,” he said.
The Cabinet secretary emphasised the need for transparency in milling and instructed the New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU) to ensure farmers witness the entire milling and marketing process. “Unscrupulous millers have been lying that farmers do not produce good coffee but this has been debunked because most of what we are receiving at the mill is grade A and AB. The farmer must be invited to witness the milling and also have a say on the price of their coffee,” the CS said.
The government launched Sh1.5 billion coffee revitalisation programme in April targeting eight counties.
