Coffee and tea farmers from Murang’a County will in near the future get linked to the Chinese market through a Kenya-China trade cooperation deal.
This comes after a delegation from China visited the county on Thursday with the intent to sign a pact with the farmers through the county administration that will see coffee and black tea among other agricultural products traded in the Chinese market.
The delegation led by the President of Kenya-China Cooperation Committee Madam Betty Xu has assured Murang’a farmers that there is an enormous market in their country and called upon the farmers to increase production for export purposes.
Xu said China has the potential to buy coffee worth 100 million US dollars annually from Kenyan farmers.
She noted that although the Chinese people are used to drinking green tea, the young generation in their country has an increased appetite for coffee and black tea and urged Murang’a farmers to be on the frontline to exploit the market opportunities in the Asian country.
“In the agreement, we want to partner with Murang’a and Kenyan farmers at large and link them with the Chinese buyers,” she said.
“Farmers will be connected directly to buyers and the cooperation committee will be mandated to market Kenyan coffee and tea in various provinces of China,” explained Xu.
Kenya, she noted, imports many goods from China and challenges Kenyan farmers to produce quality tea and coffee that will see the country increase its exports to China fixing the trade deficit.
“We have sampled Kenyan tea and coffee and I can assure you the products have a big demand from China.” She said,
She noted that the program dubbed Light Up Kenya Villages is a public benefit program and will benefit Kenyans through increased access to industrial equipment and new energy technology through the use of solar power.
A Member of the Murang’a budget and economic forum, Ms Muthoni Gichohi, on her part said that with the new market opening, agriculture will create many employment opportunities in the county.
Gichohi who served as Kenyan ambassador to China assured that once the farmers commence exporting their coffee and tea to China, earnings will be increased thus improving the livelihoods of the farmers who for long have been exploited in the past.
“This is the time for our farmers to take advantage of this agreement between the Chinese delegation and the county government now that our coffee, tea, and avocados will get access to the ready market in China,” she stated.
She added that through the initiative, cooperatives will ensure that Kenyan produce meets the quality standards required for the international markets to upscale earnings and revenue for farmers.
Murang’a produces about 31,000 million kilos of coffee annually through the cooperative society’s model.
Murang’a Governor, Irungu Kang’ata noted there was a need for the local farmers to exploit opportunities in the China market.
Kang’ata said the county government will create market linkages through the expanding market, by allocating 500.3 acres for construction of the Export Processing Zone in the Makenji area.
“In this concept, the county government will not spend its resources but will directly link the farmers with the market,” said the Governor who was backed by his Deputy Stephen Munania.
He assured the investors of a friendly business environment saying that the county has ensured robust regulation of business through automation of services.
He also assured them that the county would help the investors through aggregation of products which will be done through co-operatives and societies.
By Bernard Munyao and Purity Mugo
