Coffee Farmers Receive Fertilizer to Boost Production

The county government of Kiambu has dispersed 100 tonnes of fertilizer to the coffee farmers in a bid to ensure increased production of the beverage. The program is seeking to reach at least 10,000 farmers in the region.

“Our aim is to increase the country’s coffee production while adhering to the high quality of the cherries to enable them to fetch better prices in the market. This is why we are distributing essential farm inputs to our farmers so that they can increase production and get high returns from their farming.” Kiambu governor James Nyoro said.

Every farmer will receive 10 kg of the free farm input. In addition, farmers in the 22 coffee cooperatives in the region are set to benefit from the specially blended fertilizer. The Kiambu boss noted some of the challenges that have pushed Kiambu coffee farmers to ditch coffee farming.

Among them include costly farm inputs, a lack of market for their produce as well as unscrupulous traders in the sector.

He pointed out that his administration will be at the forefront in reviving the sector and taming cartels who have incapacitated the sector.

The initiative received a warm welcome from the farmers who are now projecting improved income fueled by increased production.

“Our coffee will now fetch better prices due to availability of farm inputs as well as extension services from agriculture officers in the county. We are optimistic that our products will increase,” Margaret Muthoni, a farmer, said.

This comes as the beverage continues with an exemplary performance on the back of increased demand from rosters who are now stocking the commodity ahead of the general elections. At the Nairobi Coffee Exchange(NCE) the price of the beverage increased to $282 (33,473 shillings) from $265 (33,236 shillings) in the previous sale.

The auction has now started receiving some good quality beans as opposed to the previous sale when there was no quality bean as the auction resumed operations. The NCE took a one-month break in May following the end of the main crop season.

It is currently trading the short-season crop from eastern and parts of western Kenya until November when the primary season will hit the market again.