Govt highlights coffee reforms achievements a head of Mt Kenya tour

Ministry of Co-operatives and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development, State Department for Cooperatives has highlighted major coffee reforms achievements a head of Mt Kenya region five days tour, the region has majority coffee farmers.

Among the major reforms by the Kenya Kwanza government include placing coffee reforms under the Office of the President to prioritize revival, target of 151,000 metric tonnes by 2027.

Principal Secretary, State Department for Cooperatives Patrick Kiburi Kilemi indicated that in legal reforms the new cooperatives bill and coffee bill 2024 to strengthen the governance and empower key institutions like coffee board of Kenya and Coffee Research institute.

In market access, the government opened coffee market to global markets (Europe, Asia and America) record price of USD 3,000 fora 50Kg bag sold to a Korean buyer.

In transparent auctions, the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) now oversees Nairobi Coffee Exchange, ensuring fairness and transparency in trading.

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In farmer empowerment 16 farmer owned Cooperative Unions and the New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (New KPCU) licensed to sell directly, 134 coffee buyers have also been approved.

Kilemi said there has also been direct settlement system (DSS) it reduces payment time from 6 months to 5 days from July 2025, farmers will receive payments directly to their bank accounts.

In Cherry Fund Boost, the govt has disbursed ksh 7.95 billion to cover 549,000 farmers through the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund, the fund enhanced to ksh 6.24 billion.

While in debt relief it has approved ksh 6.8 billion debt write off for farmers, ksh 2 billion has been allocated in the 2024/25 financial year.

Over 600,000 bags of subsidized fertilizer and agrochemicals distributed via the E voucher programme to boost productivity.

In modernization drive, 20 million certified seedlings have been distributed, investment in modern cooperative infrastructure like eco-pulpers, drying tables, digital weighing scales and ICT equipment.

By Obegi Malack

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