The Mountain Journal
editor@themountainjournal.co.ke
Coffee production within Kihuyo and Giathugu areas in Nyeri county is on the rise after the farmers embraced agroecology practise.
The impact of equipping farmers with agro ecology knowledge has led to improved production of the coffee processed at Kihuro coffee cooperative society in Kieni West sub county, in Nyeri County in the past two years.
In a survey, the majority of the farmers have registered increased production per tree from 1.5 kg to an average of 5 kgs.
Through the support of experts from Resources Oriented Development Initiatives, (Rodi) Kenya, the farmers undergo intensive agro ecology training that have assisted them to increase food production, better health, environmental conservation, and coffee management programmes.
The agronomists visit farmers groups in the villages of Nyarugumu, Kihuyo and Njeng’u where tremendous improvements have been registered in both coffee trees and food crops.
Rodi Kenya Executive Director Esther Bett affirmed that farmers in Nyeri are enrolled in agroecology programmes in large numbers and impactful results have been registered.
Through the conservation of forests, Rodi Kenya, she said, has provided the farmers with more than 78 biogasses that have been provided to farmers within Kihuyo area with cooking energy.
In the locality, she said, through the community interventions trees are growing with the majority turning to the energy saving jikos and bio gas.
“We have partnered with the community in the restoration of the Nyeri Hill which was dilapidated, owing to the past increased human activities,” said Ms Bett.
She added the organisation has been working in partnership with Kenya Prisons Service for years with the former ex-convicts promoting agroecology across the locality.
“ The inmates upon completion of their jail term, turn to train the community in their villages on better farming practices, in various parts of the country,” said Bett.
One of the successful farmers, Mr Bernard Wambugu, says through the training, coffee production in the last two months achieved 932.6 kgs, up from 320 kgs harvested in the last two years.
Wambugu says from his 300 coffee trees, production per tree has increased from 1.2 kgs to more than 3.5 kgs per tree, hoping to increase to 5kgs in the next two years.
“My farming is on the right trajectory from the annual harvest of 320 kgs in 2022 and 2023 to the tremendous production of 932.6 kgs in the months of October and November,” said Mr Wambugu, a lead farmer.
“In three years I have managed to observe organic protocols that have assisted my growth, eye to increase production to five kgs per tree in the next two years,” said Wambugu.
Jane Mwaura says farming education is guided by the agronomists apart from increased harvest in coffee has also been demonstrated in food crops for the family and sale.
“The residents are taken through environmental programmes that have protected the commercial and natural forests,” said Mrs Mwaura.
In the coffee sector, Joseph Ndung’u, a manager at Kihuyo coffee society said they have registered increased coffee production, with the majority of the farmers having adopted organic farming practices.
He said owing to the intensive training by agronomists from Rodi Kenya, production per tree has increased at average from 1.5 kgs of cherries to 3.5 kgs per tree.
“In 2023/2024 production was at 120,000 kgs, 2024/2025 at 412,000 kgs, between October 1 and November 20.
Production at the factory stands at 105,000 kgs from all the farmers harvested between October 1 to date, with potential of achieving more than 600,000 kgs in the 2025/2026,” said Ndung’u.
Coffee Value Chain expert Peter Chege said the farmers are introduced through soil fertility, livestock management, manure application, disease and pest control organically, among others.
In three years, 300 farmers have been trained in the villages of Njeng’u, Mainganiro, Kihuyo, Nyarugumu, Mwenji, and Aberdeen.
“There are volunteer farmers in each village, who train others in the absence of the experts in their meetings,” said Mr Chege, an employee of Rodi Kenya vast with knowledge in farming.
Photo/Rodi Kenya Executive Director Esther Bett addressing farmers in Kieni West sub county in Nyeri during a farmers demonstration day.
Jeniffer Wambui a farmer from Mwea said agro ecology has assisted many of the families across the Mt Kenya region to make a living, through the sale of quality food crops.
Wambui said a friend invited her for the farm demonstration and to interact with fellow small holder farmers in Nyeri.
“ During the visit I was interested in beekeeping and made contacts on how I will get the bee hives as I am interested in selling quality honey to my neighbours,” said Wambui, a mother of three.
