Concerns over low production of coffee in Murang’a has featured , with
the government accused of failing to intervene.
The growers said they continued facing challenges related to high
cost of farm input and confused marketing procedures on production costs.
They attributed the poor production to high cost of inputs,
blaming the vice on the government failing to intervene.
During a meeting at Mother’s Union Hall in Murang’a
town, they told officials of Kenya Coffee Producers Association (KCPA)
that a kilogramme fetched less than Sh60, a move that has forced
thousands to shift their attention to other fast growing crops.
They said government attention had shifted to avocado trees
neglecting the crucial sector of the economy.
The KCPA chaired by Peter Gikonyo has been touring coffee
growing areas collecting information on how best to improve the sector and
empowering small scale growers.
The cooperative societies chairmen and other officials in
charge of 144 factories, disclosed that majority of the processing facilities
were at the verge of closing down due to poor production.
They observed that due to the high cost of farm input very
few farmers have managed to produce 10 kilogramme per tree.
The officials were told there were trees producing less than a
kilogramme of cherries per year.
Gikonyo said the association was working to improve the production
through seeking for interventions from the stakeholders.
He said there was a need for the farmers to increase their
production to at least 1,000 kilogrammes per member to save the sector.
“ Processing factories receiving less that 250,000 kilogrammes
annually were under threat of closing down,” he said.
Gikonyo said the association was a link between the growers
and the market, a move that will help increase production.
“The officials are on a countrywide tour holding consultation with
farmers for a better tomorrow,” said Gikonyo. Gikonyo is also chairman of
Gaturi Farmers Cooperative Society in Kiharu, Murang’a.
Some of the factories in the county closed following the dwindling
production of cherries as farmers shifted to horticulture.
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