Coffee Farmers Decry Delayed Milling, Call Upon Government To Quicken Payment

By Isabella Maua

Coffee farmers have called upon the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, to settle the pending direct settlement system payment promptly to allow the smooth running of societies.

In his statement during Mwaimwai Coffee Farmers Cooperative Society’s Annual General Meeting on Friday, Daniel Yakka, the chairman, decried delayed billing and payment, which have paralyzed their operations.

“As a society, we rely on twenty percent of the payments made to our farmers through bank accounts; this has drastically been interfered with by the present e-payment, where farmers get their money directly,” highlighted Yakka.

He further cited the paralyzation of society’s smooth running since the government put on hold DSS sales 11, 12, and 13 due to the oscillating dollar value.

“We understand that the dollar rate was very high last season, but this time it’s stabilizing, and we look forward to receiving our pay so that farmers will be motivated and the societies will also run as required,” requested Yakka.

He further decried low payment to farmers under the new KPCU reforms, where they had been promised to receive Ksh. 80 per kilogram, whereas they had gone up to Ksh. 90 before the coffee reforms.

Not only did the farmers bemoan impassable roads but also a lack of subsidized coffee fertilizers to boost their yields.

Beatrice Wamalwa, a coffee farmer, said, “We lose a lot of money during transportation of our coffee berries because of poor roads and a lack of bridges; being at the boundary of Mt. Elgon and Kimilili sub-counties has been our greater disadvantage since both MCAs don’t prioritize us in infrastructural development.”

Her sentiments were echoed by Benson Wanyonyi, who added, “Unlike maize or potato farmers who benefit from subsidized fertilizers issued by the government, coffee farmers are not less privileged since we have no fertilizers labeled NPK 17:17:17 for our consumption.”

Mwaimwai Coffee Factory has been operational for the past five years and has seven catchment areas serving farmers from Mt. Elgon and Kimilili sub-counties.

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