Coffee farmers will now be able to get their coffee cherry fund advances processed within three days of applying, Co-operatives CS Simon Chelugui has said.

Chelugui said the money will be disbursed to all farmers through their banks and mobile phones irrespective of where they mill their coffee. The New Kenya Planters’ Co-operative union has only been tasked with disbursing the cherry fund but will not compel farmers to mill their coffee with it, he added.

The CS, who spoke at a Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund (CCARF) meeting at Kairuri in Embu County last evening also said the fund is among reforms meant to return profitability and certainty to the coffee subsector and will be administered by the New Kenya Planters Co-operative Union.

He also said the Sh 80 paid as the advance will also serve as a guaranteed minimum earning from every kilo of cherry, saying the government will underwrite any difference should the price at auction fall below the Sh 80. He also said money earned above the Sh 80 will b
e paid to farmers as bonuses.

Embu leaders that included Governor Cecily Mbarire, Senator Alexander Mundigi, and Members of Parliament Njoki Njeru, Mucangi Karemba, and Gitonga Mukunji welcomed the establishment of the fund but said it should be raised to between Sh 100 and Sh.120.

Chelugui said the government was committed to reducing the number of players in the coffee value chain up to the Nairobi Coffee Exchange from the previous 27 players to seven to reduce those taking commissions off farmers’ earnings.

Governor Mbarire asked the government to help the county’s cooperatives have their debts written off including the Sh 90 million loan taken by the County Coffee mill that had grown to Sh 164 million.

She said her government will soon launch a campaign to convince co-operatives to merge to minimize their overheads.

She said it was regrettable that the once mighty District Co-operative Union had fragmented into many tiny co-operatives, some with as few as one pulping factory which made them lose thei
r economies of scale.

She urged the county’s farmers to stop selling their cherry at the farm gate, saying a lot of the county’s coffee was being sold to brokers in neighboring counties.

She added that they plan to have cooperatives and estate farmers elect new representatives to the county’s coffee marketing agency.

Runyenjes MP Karemba asked the government to rethink the proposed new taxes on farm produce including cows and chicken.

Source: Kenya News Agency

EPUKIRO RC: The Epukiro RC Metsweding community has called on Namibbeton Road Contractors to employ 70 per cent of the youth in the area in exchange for using their water and gravel resources.

In a letter addressed to Okarukambe constituency councillor Rocco Nguvauva on Thursday, the community asked the company to fulfil its social responsibility by rehabilitating various water points and boreholes. These facilities would not only supply water to the community, but also support road construction.

Additionally, the community urged the company to address the issue of a reportedly full dumping site, and requested assistance with cleaning or covering it.

Nguvauva told Nampa the names of job applicants will be released by the company next week.

‘There was a misunderstanding that the community had refused them access to water. We had a meeting today and the matter is resolved,’ he said.

According to Nguvauva, the community did not refuse the contractor water but expects the company to engage in activities bene
fiting the Epukiro RC Metsweding community.

He said the community presented their demands and the contractors agreed to some, while stating that others require consultation with the relevant authorities such as the Roads Authority (RA).

‘They promised to come back to the community with feedback thereafter. There was no dispute as it has been circulated all over, we had a very peaceful meeting. This is now the second phase of this road. While they are busy with this stage there will be a budget allocation for the next phase. According to the RA, the aim is to finish this road by 2025 after reaching Epukiro Post 3,’ Nguvauva said.

He urged the community to remain calm and await the release of names for those selected for job opportunities at the construction site.

The company is currently working on the second phase of the upgrading of the Du Plessis-Epukiro road to bitumen standard.

Source: Namibia Press Agency