By The Mountain Journal Crew
Eastern Aberdare Coffee Mills (ECOMILL) in Murang’a has been idle
for eight years exposing the growers to manipulation by the commercial millers.
To avert the losses estimated at billions of shillings the
farmers’ representatives have resolved to relocate the Sh40 million facility
from Maragua town to Ikundu Coffee Demonstration Farm.
Chairman of Murang’a Farmers Cooperative Union Mr Francis Ngone
said the relocation process will cost Sh50 million which will be
facilitated by Cooperative Bank, in efforts to save the growers.
Delegates from 38 cooperative societies along the coffee belt met
and resolved to relocate the mill from Maragua town to Mbombo where there is
space for future expansion.
In the meeting, the farmers recounted heavy costs incurred
annually for the services that could be offered in their mill, if all the 144
factories contracted Ecomill the miller, and the marketer.
Mr Ngone said the bank conducted a visibility study following
the hue and cry by the farmers after the annual loss amounting to millions
of shillings.
The relocation concept was arrived at following
several failed attempts to revive the plant over mistrust on payment.
Last year farmers took home Sh1.4 billion from the proceeds from
their 19 million kilogrammes of coffee, while they had spent another
Sh98,858,943 for the services of milling, marketing, transportation, and
purchase of bags.
“It is in the interest of the growers that the bank conducted a
study on the existing potential in coffee farming in Murang’a in comparison
with Nyeri in efforts to stop the capital flight,” said Mr Ngone.
In a coffee trees census in Murang’a a report by the bank
reflects there are 25 million trees, with an average production of 0.8
kilogrammes per tree per year while in Nyeri county average production per tree
is at 1.1 kilogramme.
In the meeting, the delegates claimed the idle facility was
an embarrassment as the society members have remained exploited by the
commercial millers through expensive loans among other expenses.
In the agreement, the bank will support the government
digitization programme of the factories through the union.
The plant with a 1.2 tonnes capacity an hour was imported in July
2011, closed operation after it milled 860,900 kilogrammes of coffee that
earned farmers Sh161, 048,465 in years 2013/2014 and 2014/2015.
In the payment, some of the farmers claim to have not been paid
their dues estimated at Sh23million.
In the assessment at the factory, the board of the union saw the
importance of a weighing bridge for accuracy, management information system,
employment of a liquorer among other needs.
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