By John Majau
Co-operative leaders in Meru County want the national government to clear debts owed by farmers’ societies.
Meru Dairy Co-operative Society chairman Mr Simon Kiruja urged Governor Kiraitu Murungi to petition President Uhuru Kenyatta on behalf of farmers to waiver the debt.
Coffee Farmers Chairman Mr Mbaabu Mitunga lauded Kiraitu for adapting and implementing the Ethiopian coffee payment model which has improved coffee farmers payment.
He said the initiative has attracted majority of the youth to coffee farming noting that many are already asking for seedlings in order to enable them start cultivating coffee as their most preferred crop of choice.
Kiraitu, who was the chief guest during Meru Ushirika day event at Maili Tatu, said co-operatives in the area had recorded tremendously growth.
He urged co-operators to double their efforts in a bid to earn maximum profits and become more financially stable.
He promised to spearhead the formation and growth of miraa and potato co-operatives and advised farmers to embrace value addition to reap more as it was the case in Canada where he had went for benchmarking.
The governor said his government will give one million avocado seedlings and an extra one million seedlings for macadamias to willing farmers.
Senator Mithika Linturi urged residents to diversify their crop by embracing farming of avocados and macadamias alongside besides growing miraa.
