By The Mountain Journal team in
Murang’a
Agriculture and Livestock Cabinet
Secretary Peter Munya concluded his four days coffee bill public participation
in Murang’a, with assured support by
more than 100,000 growers.
In the four days tour of the region,
the CS was backed by Governor Mwangi wa Iria said there was a need for
regulations to protect the growers from exploitation by the rogue merchants.
The regulations, Munya said will protect the
farmers from exploitation by their management committees as they will serve for
two terms of three years each.
During the tour MPs Wangari Mwaniki(
Kigumo), Peter Kimari (Mathioya) Mduati Ngugi( Gatanga), Mary Wamaua( Maragua),
Ndindi Nyoro( Kiharu) and Alice Wahome declared their support to the bill.
Money deducted from the farmers proceeds to
manage the factories has been lowered from 20 percent to five percent.
Other gains include the farmers will be
involved in the selection of millers unlike in the past where the management
committee identified.
“ The new regulation demands there
be three millers where the growers will settle on one, also the cost of milling lose should not
exceed 19 percent, with efforts geared to ensure the farmers get more returns,”
said the CS.
In the meetings, the growers appreciated
efforts made by the Agriculture Food Authority (AFA) despite the influence by
the coffee cartels, behind the breaking into factories and manipulation of
payment systems.
In the forums,
Munya detailed his frustrations to management committees for frustrating
farmers’ access to the cheap cherry advance fund that the government allocated
Sh3 billion.
“ The committee members who fail
to append their signatures to the members to access the cheap loan from
the New KPCU shall face the music,” said the CS.
He recounted how the committee members in
Murang’a were facilitated in a seminar at Kenol market last year where they
were briefed on the procedures that will enable the growers to access low-interest
rate loan from the government.
“The engagement with farmers has
revealed that the committee members are conduits of the commercial millers who
provide a costly advance to the farmers,”
regretted Munya.
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