Cooperatives, Micro, Small, Medium and Enterprises Development Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has said the Government intends to scale up coffee production in the country from the current 50,000 metric tonnes to 150,000 metric tonnes by 2028.
Speaking at Kakamega’s Approved School ground during a forum aimed at revitalising the coffee and dairy sectors in Kakamega County, Oparanya said coffee is emerging as a game-changer in the agricultural sector and that key reforms instituted by the government to revamp it have started bearing fruit.
Oparanya said the government has set aside Sh500 million in this year’s budget to support both the coffee and dairy sectors in the country.
He said, under the arrangement, the government has started offering free training to close to 5,000 potential coffee farmers as well as supplying them with certified coffee seedlings.
“We have identified Kakamega County as a pilot project before rolling it out to other counties,” he said. “Here in Kakamega County, we intend to identify and train at least 1200 youths, 20 from each of the 60 wards, as well as women on coffee farming and how to manage the crop,” he added.
“Already 1700 farmers have prepared 1400 acres in Likuyani Sub County for planting coffee and I urge more of you to join strong cooperatives in order to enjoy the government’s support,” he added.
The CS said the Government set up a Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund (CCARF) to provide affordable, sustainable and accessible cherry advances to smallholder coffee farmers.
Oparanya, however, lamented that Kakamega County received a paltry 1.7 million shillings from the Cherry Fund, with Bungoma receiving Sh368 million out of the total 7.7 billion shillings that was allocated to coffee farmers countrywide last year.
The CS made a rallying call to farmers in the Western region to embrace diversification in farming so that they do not rely on only one cash crop.“We are not forcing anybody to plant coffee, but I can assure you that coffee is a game changer that can help tackle high poverty levels in this region,” he said.
“Plant coffee in plenty, take good care and earn big money. Do you know when you transport a lorry full of coffee to the Nairobi Stock Exchange, you need a police escort? But a farmer transporting a lorry full of maize will never be escorted by the police,” he said as he emphasized the value of the crop.
The CS said the New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU) is spearheading the exercise to revitalise the coffee farming and carry out marketing of Kenyan coffee in the global market, as well as provide the warehouse services and milling in the country.
By George Kaiga and Albert Muteshi
