More than 2,000 farmers have shifted to coffee farming in Uasin Gishu following campaigns for diversification in the region where maize farming is dominant.
Uasin Gishu is one of the country’s highest maize producers but due to challenges in the cereals sector, there have been campaigns to sensitise farmers to grow other cash crops, including coffee and macadamia, among others.
The county, in partnership with the New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union, has rolled out an initiative to train the coffee farmers on issues in the sector.
County coffee officer Nicholas Maritim says the training is targeting at least 800 farmers registered with coffee co-operative societies.
Speaking during training for the coffee farmers from Soy subcounty, Maritim said among the areas farmers are being trained on is the production of quality cherries and marketing of the coffee.
The county official affirmed commitment to support coffee farmers whom he challenged to always seek help from extension officers.
“We have rolled out the training programme, which is now running smoothly and we appreciate the support from the new KPCU. We will cover most of the farmers operating within co-operative societies,” Maritim said.
New KPCU officer Moses Wanduasi said aside from marketing of the coffee, they are also training farmers on the Coffee Cherry Revolving Fund.
The fund, Wanduasi said, started operations in 2020, and is aimed at providing financial support to the coffee farmers for their expenses such as school fees and purchase of farm inputs as they wait to sell their produce.
“The fund has been very beneficial to many farmers and in this county we have farmers from Megun ward who have benefited from the revolving fund and their coffee is ready to be sold,” he said.
Wanduasi further said farmers can access the fund and use it to expand their acreage among other benefits.
Maize prices have dropped drastically in the markets, forcing leaders in the region to sensitise farmers on the need to grow other crops.
The initiative was mainly spearheaded by former governor Jackson Mandago, who is now senator.
Governor Jonathan Bii’s administration has also taken up the initiative to support the farmers who have diversified to growing coffee, among other crops.
“We want our farmers to go for commercial farming and make more money. They can grow the other crops along with maize which does well in our region,” Bii said.
Since last year shortage of maize has helped to push prices to more than Sh5,000 per bag and this year the government has also invested in subsidised fertiliser to help boost production that has been on the decline.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
