OTHAYA Farmers Cooperative Society has acquired a Sh6 million coffee roasting and grinding machine.
It was bought using the Constituency Development Fund and will serve 8,000 coffee farmers from 14 coffee factories.
Cooperative chairman James Gathua said Sh2.5 million has been set aside to instal the roaster and buy a packing machine.
He spoke during the society’s AGM at Gatuyaini coffee mill in Othaya town on Thursday.
“This will ensure that more than 2,000kg of parchment coffee are milled per hour,” Gathua said.
The grinder now mills 700kg every hour.
He said more jobs will be created.
The new machine will complement the newly installed polisher and bucket elevator worth Sh8 million, Gathua said.
Othaya MP Mary Wambui said the new machine will help in value addition.
Sensors and CCTVs worth Sh1.4 million will be installed in the 14 coffee societies.
“This will help curb coffee theft,” Gathua said.
“After the recent theft at Chinga Coffee Factory where 52 bags worth over Sh1.5 million was stolen, we need to ensure measures are put in place to prevent robbers from accessing factories.”
A security company has been contracted to instal sirens in the factories, he said.
“But I’m also blaming millers for colluding with thugs to steal the coffee since we have our own mill and they don’t get our coffee,” Gathua said.
Last year, the society produced 2.8 millionkg of coffee, bringing in Sh197.8 million.
