The Mountain Journal
In the past year, the coffee sector has made major milestones with farmers following the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) online during the weekly auction.
Nearly all the cooperative societies have managed to sell their produce through the auction with a few using the direct sale window.
But there has been a shortcoming in the sector that includes delayed remittance of money to cooperative societies bank accounts from Direct Settlement System DSS.
They also want status of the Coffee Cherry Advance Fund audited by the auditor general office and timely delivery of subsided fertiliser.
Also government to ensure farmers are not exploited on purchase of coffee transportation bags.
Peter Mwangi, a coffee value chain expert, said a section of politicians from Mt Kenya yet to understand the coffee market process incited the growers with misinformation.
Mwangi pleaded with leaders to encourage farmers to increase their production and improve quality.
Mwangi singled out politicians in Nyeri and Kirinyaga counties as politicians meddle in the coffee marketing affairs.
Mathira MP Erick Wamumbi said there was a need to give farmers freedom to decide on who will buy their coffee.
“ The proposal made in Meru during the coffee conference should be amended to allow the farmers to sell their coffee to buyers of choice, not Alliance Berries Limited. I will spearhead an amendment of coffee regulation to give farmers liberty to sell their produce to any instead of Alliance Berries,” said Mathira MP.
Senator Kamau Murango said he has been championing the growers interest through formulation of policies and informing the farmers.
“ Being the chairman at senate agriculture committee has all the rights to educate farmers and warn them of the cartels in coffee and tea sectors,” said Murango.
Mwangi said in the counties of Kirinyaga and Nyeri remained the worst hit as the politicians incited the growers for their political expeditions adding that they have the role of amending the law and introducing new ones.
“Coffee remains a sensitive crop but the leaders are required to show the farmers the way, in conformity with Coffee Regulations 2019,” said Mwangi.
Rose Warutere, a farmer in Baricho said coffee is best paid owing to the transparency brought through the DSS.
The leaders, she said, are yet to understand the coffee payments system, and the role of the marketters.
She said the coffee sale has been transparent based on the farmers being able to follow the auction proceedings and later NCE reports posted online.
“There is a need for a law barring politicians from inciting the coffee farmers. We have evidence that since coffee is a high value crop a section of leaders misuse the growers with half baked information,” said Warutere.
Warutere says Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa tendency to implicate Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua with the sale of coffee is outrageous as have not tabled any evidence.
“ The remark that the Deputy President Gachagua being paid three percent for coffee sold remains a baseless talk by Ichug’wa that amounts to defamation. The politicians are known to malign each other, a trend that should come to an end,” said Ms Warutere.
Kenya Coffee Producers Association (KCPA)Chairman Peter Gikonyo said in the year coffee transportation bags were charged at Sh585 instead of between Sh 141.7 and Sh195.
“ In a year Kenya sells 700,000 bags of coffee translating to a loss of Sh136.5 million,” said Gikonyo.
On the coffee cherry advance fund, Gikonyo said, lacks the technical knowledge to run the kitty.
“ The fund is loans to farmers on kenyan currency but recovered through the dollar, which oppresses the growers,” said Gikonyo.
“ In Mt Kenya only a few leaders speak about coffee and tea,” said Kagiri.
Githunguri MP Gathoni Muchomba said coffee farmers are at liberty to appoint millers and brokers of their choice in their meetings as the regulations provide.
She detailed her partnership with farmers towards the revival of Komothai Cooperative Society, now eying to operate a coffee mill.
“I plead with the leaders to focus on ways to assist the farmers instead of using the sector as a platform to wage war against the players in the value chain,” said Gathoni, a member of Coffee Tea Parliamentary Association (Cotepa).
