Baringo coffee farmers earn Sh28m from first export to Korea

Baringo farmers have received Sh28 million as payment for their first consignment of coffee exported to Korea.

More than 200 farmers drawn from 27 groups converged at the Katimok Coffee factory in Baringo North to receive their dues on Wednesday.

“Since I started coffee farming in 1965, I have never earned such a huge amount. I sincerely thank the government, factory management and the Korean investor for the noble initiative,” farmer Frederick Chesyna said.

He said he brought his coffee from Eldama-Ravine because he trusts the factory, “this is like our own house, let's build it.”

Farmers reaped the returns barely nine months after Korean investor Reverend Cha Bo Yong signed an MoU with the Baringo government.

“I chose to invest here after research proved that coffee, specifically from Baringo, was natural and sweet,” Bo Yong said.

After the MoU last June, the investor set up a coffee mill worth Sh100 million at Katimok forest near Ossen in Baringo North.

The factory began operations in February 4 and mills up to 1.2 tonnes of coffee beans per hour.

“As you can see the mill is yielding handsome returns to coffee famers” plant chairman Michael Yatich said.

He said the first batch of export comprised of 70 per cent premium coffee grades AA and AB totaling 650kgs, earning farmers the Sh28 million.

“This is just but a good start, we still have volumes of ready coffee awaiting packaging and transportation,” Yatich said.

He said they have received coffee from a quarter of the farmers and are expecting the remainder soon.

“We are expecting 14 cooperative societies to supply us with their coffee, now that they can see the fruits are sweeter at Katimok mill,” Yatich said.

The coffee farmers are drawn from Baringo Central, Baringo North, Koibatek and Baringo South.

Baringo Deputy Governor Jacob Chepkwony who is also the co-implementation chairman said good coffee pricing has already been negotiated between the government and the Korean investor.

“We can now proudly say as a county we have secured a direct market to Korea. We urge coffee farmers to embrace the mill and supply their coffee through us,” he said.

Chepkwony said coffee farming is a game-changer and more farmers should turn to it as it will automatically change their livelihoods.

He said they are looking forward as committee at providing incentives such as herbicides to manage diseases in coffee farms.

The deputy governor also said they will engage more experts like agronomists to offer extension services and improve on the quality of the coffee. 

Before the establishment of Katimok factory, farmers used to incur huge expenses transporting their coffee to Kericho, Eldoret and Kiambu.  

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)