Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi has said only good payment of farmers will revive the dwindling coffee sector in the country.
Kiraitu spoke on Wednesday at Gitimbine where he met coffee farmers after commissioning a building by Meru Cooperative Union.
He said when he was Meru senator and was appointed chairman of the agriculture committee, they visited coffee farming countries across the globe.
“We went to Brazil, Costa Rica and Ethiopia the leading countries in coffee production to see what they were doing to succeed,” Kiraitu said.
He said while Kenya only produces 40,000 metric tonnes per year, Ethiopia is producing 700,000 metric tonnes annually becoming the top producer in Africa.
The governor said coffee farming is thriving in Ethiopia because of good pay for farmers.
“The biggest problem we have in the country is how coffee farmers are paid. If they are paid well and in time those who had abandoned coffee farming will definitely go back without being told to do so,” Kiraitu said.
He said Meru county had started Cherry Advanced Fund and the system was used as a blue print by President Uhuru Kenyatta after he formed a task force to uplift coffee farming.
Kiraitu said unfortunately, coffee has been made a political crop.
He said the coffee factories should be run by farmers and all factories under new KPCU should be reverted back to farmers.
“It's like we went one step forward and two steps backwards the county had started funding the coffee sector but it all went back,” he said.
-Edited by SKanyara
