Embu: Coffee farmers from 24 Cooperative Societies across Embu County have received capital donations amounting to Sh24.2 million to finance inputs for improving production.
According to Kenya News Agency, the donation by the World Bank-funded National Agricultural Value Chain Development project (NAVCDP) and channeled through the County Government, is expected to assist farmers in increasing both quantity and quality of their coffee.
This comes at a time when coffee prices have started showing signs of improvement and hitting a high that has not been witnessed in the recent past, with some societies paying their farmers Sh143 per kilo of cherry delivered in last year's crop season. Poor earnings have over the years seen coffee production dwindle with some farmers going to the extent of uprooting their bushes and diverting to other profitable ventures such as dairy farming.
The donation according to Deputy Governor Kinyua Mugo, who oversaw the disbursement of cheques yesterday at Talent Academy Grounds, will enable farmers to procure materials and inputs necessary to return the crop to its previous stature as the biggest economic pillar in the county. The funds will also help factories in infrastructural upgrade including procurement of solar dryers, metallic drying beds, and fermentation tanks.
Mugo said the devolved unit was committed to uplifting the economic status of farmers through financial support, adoption of new and emerging technologies, and sourcing of markets for their produce. The biggest beneficiary of the donations was Embu County Coffee Mill, which received Sh17.9 million for the construction of a 40,000-bag parchment store.
DG Mugo said the investment is meant to address the mill's current storage deficit and enhance efficiency in handling coffee from all the cooperative societies. The mill allows local farmers to mill, roast, and directly sell their coffee, thus improving farmers' earnings by cutting out middlemen and cartels. Mill Chairperson Wilfensio Njeru welcomed the donation, saying they will no longer have to turn away societies bringing in their coffee for lack of storage space.