Coffee farmers are set to reap big once government led coffee reforms take effect and the Cooperative bill is implemented to the letter.
Co-operatives and Micro and Small Enterprises Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya said the reforms will cut off farmer’s exploitation by cartels and brokers, strictly enforcing governance and leadership term limits to avoid mismanagement of factories and cooperative societies.
Speaking at Urru Stadium in Tigania West, Meru County during a farmer’s sensitization forum, the CS said taht bill will weed out cartels lamenting that there are more than Ksh 6 billion accrued debts that have impoverished farmers.
“We can’t write off all debts every now and then. Henceforth, the government is ready to auction properties of directors who stole farmers’ money,” he said.
CS Oparanya said President Ruto allocated Ksh 500 million to procure 5 million seedlings this year alone.
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“We cannot hop seedlings but there must be organized distribution. There are only 3 million seedlings currently in the whole country, the reason we are importing these seedlings from Uganda. This is a big shame. The seedlings shall be distributed to cooperative movements. There must be proposals written on the type of coffee to be planted per region,” Oparanya said.
CS Oparanya recalled that years back, Kenya was among the great producers of coffee in the African continent and World over.
Oparanya called upon farmers to increase coffee plantation saying the sector production has declined compared to 1980s.
“Coffee farmers used to produce more than 200,000 metric tonnes in 1980s to today’s production of about 50,000 metric tones. We need to revive the production of coffee,” he said.
Tigania West MP John Mutunga said farmers are requesting guaranteed minimum returns so that they can earn massively from their production.
Mutunga pleaded with CS to ensure the subsidized fertiliser is rolled up to factories.
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“We are grateful to the President for lowering prices from Sh 6,000 to Sh 2500. We plead for seedlings that highly grow in this region. The coffee research institute, has the capacity to collaborate with the cooperatives department and supply enough coffee seedlings,” Mutunga said.
Buuri MP Mugambi Rindikiri said there has been mismanagement by factory management that is destroying smooth running of factories leading to economic sabotage to farmers.
“I urge the national government to follow suit and bring to book such people,” he said.
CS Oparanya said farmers must be paid directly to their banks at 80 percent price money of their total production as per delivery.
“I know some people don’t want reforms. This is the reason we are battling to win seven court cases. We shall bring reforms to see how farmers can get justice. I want to see farmers benefiting from their coffee production. I feel sad and a burden to farmers who sweat and toil to earn a living but they are still very poor.
A good example I received was from a woman who told me she was married for about 50 years and growing coffee but she cannot afford to educate her children. Comparing herself her chairperson. The chair is rich with a big house, a decent car and is affording to take the responsibilities of their family,” CS Oparanya said.
Speaking at the same function, Principal Secretary (PS) for Cooperatives Patrick Kilemi urged farmers in the County to increase acreage of coffee farming and hence improve productivity.
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Kilemi said the government will not allow officials at cooperatives to take unnecessary loans, which he said was a burden on farmers as they pay for debts that did not benefit them.
He warned against directors who have a tendency of siphoning farmer’s funds.
The CS said the government is encouraging farmers to amicably resolve bedeviling issues as it fights infiltration of cartels and brokers.
“Our main aim is to first revive cooperative movements, revive the coffee sector and sensitive farmers on the way forward to growing more coffee. Whatever we are doing today was approved by the Parliament and Senate,” he said.
Oparanya said the government introduced and released Cherry funds which are running to about Ksh 9 billion.
“How are they saying I am killing cooperatives by enforcing policy, laws and reforms where coffee farmer’s funds go directly to their accounts and not to cooperatives”? he asked.
Both leaders defended the Kenya Kwanza administration saying it has achieved several development projects since 2022.
By John Majau.
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