Coffee societies in Kiambu county have called for government intervention over slow milling of their produce and low returns for farmers.
They suggest the state should hold public forums with all coffee societies to resolve the problem.
Farmers now wait longer for their dues under new regulations that channel coffee through the New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union.
The government revoked the licences of most private millers.
Ndumberi Coffee Growers Cooperative Society chairman Fredrick Kinyanjui on Wednesday said the government should dialogue with coffee sector stakeholders.
"If we get a chance to have dialogue with the government, we can give a lot of crucial and important information that can help the coffee sector because we are the ones who know about the farmers' challenges on the ground and factory challenges that we would like to be helped with," Kinyanjui said.
Kinyanjui said farmers are hurting as they wait for their money due to delays in milling and sale of their produce.
"We are of the opinion that the government should take the initiative of streamlining the New KPCU so that the farmers have timely returns," Kinyanjui said.
Farmers have no money yet they delivered coffee to their respective factories, which in turn delivered it to the New KCPU.
"This money is what the farmer uses to prepare their coffee land, prune, buy fertiliser, pay school fees and for everyday financial needs but they have not received the money," he said.
They have not yet received the Cherry Fund and subsidised fertiliser.
George Ikonya, the secretary of Ndumberi society, said that they first sold the P1 early crop but the P3 grade was not delivered at the expected time because of a delay in milling. The P3 coffee was evaluated and compared to previous years the payment was very low.
"When the dollar was up our coffee had not been milled due to delay and by the time it was taken to the market the dollar had gone down hence, we lost money. The farmer got Sh56 as highest and Sh35 as lowest per kilogram," Ikonya said.
He said the cost of producing coffee is high compared to the money they get for their produce. The government should step in and supply farmers with subsidised farm inputs.
From the year 2022, the cost of production for farmers was Sh20 per kilogram but since last year cost of living has gone up, Ikonya said.
The cost of fertiliser and labour has gone up. A farmer spends up to Sh35 to produce a kilo and when they are paid Sh40 for their produce, the difference is too little. One can only make money if they are paid Sh90 per kilo, Ikonya said.
He said that there was no problem with having private millers, as their job would be just to mill the coffee and then forward it to the marketer.
"Removing private millers and bringing in New KPCU is like giving a workload meant for many people to one entity, which is a big workload hence the reason there is delay in milling, and their machines may have breakdowns," Ikonya said.
He called on the national government to increase millers or fund the county governments so that they set up their own milling plants, which will help farmers.
He said that currently their coffee society got a relief of Sh 10.4 million from the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP) through the Kiambu government to install a new model Eco Pulper Machine, fermentation tanks, drying metallic tables, CCTV and a new generator. NARIGP has also initiated a phase two project of providing manure to the farmers.
Joyce Mwihaki, secretary Ndumberi coffee, took issue with the distribution of subsidised fertiliser, saying that the satellite station where the fertiliser is stored is too far for the farmers to access easily.
"Some of us who had applied for the subsidised fertiliser have received a message to collect but where we are to collect it from is far, yet in our factories we have stores where the fertiliser can be brought for our farmers to access easily. We need NPK 17:17:17 and not top-dressing fertilisers," she said.
Ndumberi society treasurer David Kaigai called on the government to discuss with the coffee society board of governors and not public barazas coffee farmers may not attend.
"Holding public barazas on coffee is not the right way for the government to reach out to coffee farmers. The government should call the board of governors of coffee factories so that they may be able to know the challenges they are facing firsthand," he said.
