The government has vowed to eradicate coffee cartels, improve marketing strategies and increase prices in an elaborate bid to revive the once vibrant sector.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said once cartels are eradicated and marketing and price improved, coffee production will automatically go up, leading to better returns to farmers, sufficient foreign exchange and vibrant economy.
He regretted that cartels have been fleecing farmers of their hard-earned income for far too long and warned them that their time is up.
Gachagua who was speaking in Meru town during the opening of a three- day Coffee Reform Conference, said the government will do what it takes to ensure coffee sector regains its lost glory.
“Let me assure you that the coffee sector will be back on it track once we completely eradicate all the cartels, improve marketing and the price,” he said.
Coffee production, the Deputy President added, will automatically go up, leading to sufficient and reliable foreign exchange while the economy will inevitably become vibrant.
Gachagua said farmers should get at least 90 per cent of the coffee earnings and not the peanuts they are getting after a lot of sweat while the brokers who does almost nothing are the main beneficiaries.
He said the best way to restore farmers’ dignity is to ensure they are handsomely paid and that they don’t live in poverty after their hard work which deserves better remunerations.
“We want to restore the dignity of the farmer. Those who have been living on farmers sweat should now look elsewhere. Cartels have eaten enough and their time is up. Ninety per cent of coffee earnings should go directly to the farmers. This is not negotiable,” said Gachagua.
He said once the reforms are anchored in law, the government will ensure they are implemented to the letter.
The DP said all the views and deliberations from the conference will be ready to be presented to parliament within a fortnight after being consolidated.
Gachagua said the coffee sector started collapsing after the cooperative movement embarked on sub-dividing giant unions into small entities which were uneconomical due to the operation cost involved in running them on a daily basis.
He regretted that marketers took advantage of the situation and planted their puppets in all coffee societies after heavily bankrolling them during campaigns in order to later buy coffee at throw away prices.
“The rains started beating us when we allowed cooperatives to sub-divide giant unions to small entities which were uneconomical due to the operations cost involved.
In the entities, everyone wants to be a leader. Campaigns are very intense because marketers heavily bankroll their puppets in order to get favourable coffee prices later. Such puppets should be removed,” said the Deputy President.
Gachagua challenged coffee sector stakeholders to go back to research which can resolve the many challenges coffee is facing including the coffee berry diseases.
The DP regretted that the research institutions have become a pale shadow of themselves and called for their rehabilitation.
He hit out at leaders who failed to turn up for the conference despite being invited and coming from coffee growing zones and wondered how such legislators will vote once the bill is presented to the parliaments.
Gachagua said Kenya Kwanza government is fully committed to reviving the coffee sector.
He noted that it is unacceptable for farmers to live in poverty when the prices of coffee at the international market are good.
“We must rewrite the history of Kenyan coffee, which dates back to 1894. This brand was and still is known across the world by its superior and distinct aroma and flavour. President Ruto and I have zero vested interests beyond saving the farmer. Indeed, coffee is a legacy crop for the Kenya Kwanza Administration” he added.
The deputy president also called legislators to support the government in proposing laws and policies to address systemic issues in the coffee sector.
Gachagua promised that the sector will be streamlined so that roles in the production chain are clear and all exploitative tactics targeting farmers will be dealt with.
Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria said there is need to revamp the sector.
“We must take coffee to the powerful level it was. Before, a membership card of a coffee cooperative society was more credible than a banker’s cheque because coffee had good returns,” he said.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi said that the conference will ensure that views of the farmers will put the government to task to ensure positive reforms.
“Our farmers will get back to where they were in the early 90s. I would want to know where the rains started beating us……I am happy to be here to listen to coffee farmers, leaders of various cooperatives to give us ideas on how we can do better” he added.
Linturi called on home grown solutions to the problems bedevilling the sector, noting that there is no cartel that can fight the President and his deputy.
By John Majau
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