NYERI, Kenya, Mar 8 – Hundreds of coffee farmers from Rui Ruiru coffee factory in Mathira who had abandoned their coffee farms due to nonpayment have a reason to smile after the New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU) in conjunction with a coffee buying company paid them their dues in a record payment.
The farmers were paid Sh65 up from the Sh15 they were paid during the 2019/2020 season becoming the first farmers in the Mt Kenya region to be paid for the produce they delivered between October and December last year.
The farmers had entered into an agreement with Crowd farm Africa which buys and sells natural coffee in European markets.
The farmers were able to save the cost of preparing their coffee by turning it into parchment through wet processing; they were also only required to submit their coffee in natural form.
Speaking during a meeting with farmers new KPCU chairman Henry Kinyua said that they are encouraging farmers to sell their coffee as natural in their bid to revive the coffee sector in the country.
” We have realized that many farmers are avoiding this crop due to no payment, therefore, together with our partners we are buying the crop as natural coffee to encourage farmers to farm more,” said Kinyua,
Crowd Africa Managing Director Sammy Wachieni said that there is a huge demand for natural coffee especially in the US and other countries adding that they are not able to sustain this market.
”We as marketers cannot be able to sustain this market at the moment so we are asking our farmers to produce more,” said Wachieni.
Farmers who spoke to Capital Business said they are happy with the new arrangement as they are now able to earn more.
