Kirinyaga Governor Ann Waiguru has handed over coffee processing and packaging equipment to a farmers’ cooperative society to boost returns.
The equipment was given to Mwirua Farmers Cooperative Society. It is used to add value to their yields and comprises a roaster, grinding machine and a packaging machine.
Waiguru said value addition is in line with the Big Four Agenda and improve farmers' incomes and encourage local consumption of coffee. Value addition also creates jobs.
Mwirua Farmers Co-operative Society has nine factories, with 13,555 members. It doubled coffee production in recent years. To further enhance returns, the governor launched the distribution of macadamia seedlings to farmers for integration into their farming practice.
She said macadamia nuts are in high international demand, with buyers willing to pay up Sh170 per kilogramme. The county will ensure the nuts meet the quality standards required by processing companies.
"Since coffee and macadamia have alternate cycles of harvest, farmers are set to enjoy maximum land use and increased returns all-year-round," Waiguru said.
Kirinyaga has the potential to produce 13,000 tonnes of macadamia annually. One macadamia tree can produce about 70kg of nuts that can fetch about Sh11,000 per harvest.
The county chief appealed to farmers to intercrop coffee with other plants. The county will be distributing over 100,000 seedlings of avocado and 50,000 seedlings of macadamia this financial year.
Kirinyaga is known for producing some of the best-rated coffee in the world, with Kabare and Baragwi cooperatives ranked fourth and 25th respectively in the 2018 Coffee Review Report.
Governor Waiguru said that through improved crop husbandry, Kirinyaga coffee farmers, 70 per cent of whom are women, will realise increased returns and improved livelihoods.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
