BY TALARUS CHESANG
The Sh85 million Baringo Cha Coffee factory has been commissioned in a 2.5 acre Tugen hills farm in Baringo North.
There was some tussle with the location of the milling plant; some stakeholders proposed Baringo North while others wanted it taken to Eldama-Ravine sub-county.
Baringo Governor Stanley Kiptis said they had been holding some series of bilateral talks with the Korean government towards establishment of the coffee mill since 2013.
Kiptis however said his administration handed Sh15million towards installation of the milling plant. Korean investor Reverend Eng. Cha Bo-Yong gave Sh70 million, totaling Sh85m.
“The Korean investor chose Baringo coffee because of its organic and natural sweet taste, as a result of temperatures and favorable soil” he said.
The county boss said the factory will help ease the farmers cost of transportation of their produce to Kiambu, Uasin-Gishu and Kericho counties
Head of Coffee Directorate Kenya Isabella Nkonge handed the operation license immediately to the mill saying it has been assessed and fully certified.
“It is one among the best quality coffee mills we have in Kenya” she said.
She advised the county coffee steering committee to set up a comprehensive strategic plan to enhance and sustain coffee production and milling.
“Our core target is to ensure quality and see to it that farmers work and get money in their pockets”, Nkonge said.
In his speech Governor Kiptis further noted the mill speed grinds up to 1.2 metric tons of coffee per hour.
“Currently Baringo farmers produce only an average of 100 tonnes of coffee beans annually which can be grinded by the mill in record two weeks then it gets finished”, he said.
He appealed to the coffee farmers from across the country to consider bringing their coffee beans saying they will offer the best market prices.
Kiptis further promised to donate some 200,000 coffee seedlings and fertilizer to farmers so as to increase productivity.
The Korean investor on the other hand pledged to purchase some 100 pulping machines.
Governor Kiptis appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to assist Baringo farmers waive Sh110 million accrued loans at the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC).
“This has been a dominant challenge to our coffee farmers since some of us were born to date”, he said.
Laikipia Governor Nderitu however lauded the investor and the county government of Baringo for establishing the coffee mill saying his farmers will no longer travel all the way to Kirinyaga.
The investor Cha Bo-Yong said he was moved by the humility and the loving people of Baringo.
