Post: Oparanya Urges Counties to Boost Coffee Farming for Sector Revival

Nairobi: The Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development, Wycliffe Oparanya, has advocated for increased coffee farming across more counties to revive Kenya's coffee sector. Oparanya emphasized the potential benefits of expanding coffee cultivation during a meeting with coffee farmers from Ndimaru Sub-County, Kuria.According to Kenya News Agency, Oparanya highlighted that 34 counties have already embarked on coffee production, with Nyandarua being the latest to join. He expressed the government's intention to introduce coffee farming to more counties with suitable conditions to enhance national coffee production. Currently, Kenya's coffee output stands at approximately 50,000 metric tonnes, a significant decline from the 200,000 metric tonnes produced before the 1980s.Oparanya aims to boost production to at least 150,000 metric tonnes by 2029. He pointed out that Migori County currently produces around 1.8 million kilogrammes of coffee annually, with pote ntial growth to five million kilogrammes following sector revival efforts. The New Kenya Planters Co-operative Union (NKPCU) is implementing measures such as the Cherry Fund and introducing term limits for cooperative officials to improve management.The Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund (CCARF) was established to provide affordable advances to smallholder coffee farmers with land holdings under 20 acres. The government has allocated Sh9 billion for the Cherry Fund, with over Sh6 billion already accessed by farmers, marking progress in combating exploitation by middlemen and cartels.Additional proposals include restructuring the value chain, establishing market links, employing extension officers, and formulating policies and bills to guide the sector. If approved, the proposed Coffee and Cooperatives bills 2024 will aid sector improvements. Oparanya stressed empowering cooperatives, which comprise 80% of small-scale coffee farmers, accounting for over half of national production.The government plans to employ 1,600 extension officers in 34 coffee-growing counties to support farmers. NKPCU also proposes direct payments to farmers to reduce cash mismanagement. Oparanya mentioned the revival's goal of reclaiming Kenya's 1980s status as Africa's leading coffee exporter, a title currently held by Uganda with 400,000 metric tonnes annually.Oparanya encouraged county governments to collaborate with the national government for sector transformation, asserting agriculture as a devolved county function. Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko pledged continued collaboration with entities like the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to enhance county coffee productivity.He announced plans to allocate Sh5 million in the upcoming supplementary budget to boost production from 1.8 to 5 million kilogrammes annually. Ayacko also urged the national government to resolve insecurity along the Ndimaru-Transmara border to encourage agricultural investment. Addressing land clashes is crucial to safeguarding agricultural producti vity and resident safety, he noted.