- Amuhaka said there has been poor production because farmers were unable to purchase fertilisers.
- The CAS was addressing hundreds of farmers from Kisii and South Nyanza region at Kisii Agricultural Training College.
Image: John Kamau
The government has allocated Sh5 billion to subsidise fertiliser for coffee farmers, Agriculture CAS Lawrence Amuhaka said on Monday.
Amuhaka said there has been poor production because farmers were unable to purchase fertiliser.
The CAS said the ministry will be working closely with new Kenya Planters Cooperative Union in ensuring farmers get the same at a shared cost.
The CAS was addressing hundreds of farmers from Kisii and South Nyanza region at Kisii Agricultural Training College.
He said the new KPCU replaced the old one which leaders used to misappropriate the farmers' money, adding that loopholes have been sealed and sanity restored through new leadership.
“Farmers have been getting poor yields from their produce but this will be a thing of the past because the government has allocated Sh5 billion for subsidised fertiliser, of course this will be done through cost sharing,” Amuhaka said.
“The KPCU has put all measures in place to ensure there is transparency. The body is going to see that farmers get good prices from their crop,” he added.
The CAS who read a speech on behalf of Agriculture CS Peter Munya, further noted that currently, farmers get two and half kilogrammes of coffee from a tree. He said they want to see that the same is increased to four kilogrammes per tree.
“We are going to train the farmers on how to achieve the four kilogrammes."
In order to save farmers from paying the loans they obtained but failed to service, they will help them by waiving Sh625 million.
The CAS was accompanied by KPCU managing director Lawrence Amwaka, Commissioner of Cooperatives David Obonyo and Kisii County Executive in charge of Agriculture Ezman Onsarigo among other guests.
Addressing farmers, Amwaka warned that they are going to be forced to auction off the property of the leaders who misappropriated farmers funds or have them jailed.
“We cannot allow a situation where some individuals embezzled funds of farmers who toil to eke out a living from their produce. We have since identified some individuals who stole the funds and have directed them to refund the money or we take appropriate action,” Amwaka said.
Oboyo said they committed to reviving the coffee sector, adding that the quality of the produce has been compromised due to poor payment.
He at the same time said lack of modern equipment affected milling of quality coffee and that in order to address the challenges, KPCU has since seen digitalisation and repair of 20 factories in the region.
-Edited by SKanyara