Coffee farmers in the country have been granted a Sh1 billion fertiliser subsidy.
So far, 45, 000 coffee farmers have benefited from the subsidy programme which also covers purchase of pesticides.
The farmers are among the 80,000 who are registered with the New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU).
New KPCU managing director, Timothy Mirugi, said the subsidy programme is being piloted in Nyeri, Murang’a and Kirinyaga Counties.
Under the programme, farmers will foot 60 per cent of the cost while KPCU will cover the remaining 40 per cent of the total cost.
“We are dealing with manufacturers to supply the inputs to the farmers and bill new KPCU,” Mirugi said on Thursday during an interview with the Star.
This is a move from the e-voucher subsidy system where farmers would present vouchers to agrovet shops who later claim payment from the government.
Currently, maize farmers are benefiting from a Sh5.73 billion fertiliser subsidy through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).
Mirugi said the coffee subsidy programme is seeking to cushion farmers against high prices which have skyrocketed to a high of Sh6,000 per 50 kg bag.
The subsidy has brought down the prices to between Sh3,000 and Sh3,600 per 50 kg bag.
Data from the Coffee Directorate under the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) shows that 80,087 farmers have so far been registered on the subsidy program out of a target of 82,000 farmers.
Thirteen counties have registered in the program and 55,617 farmers have benefited from the 40 per cent subsidy at the valued of Sh141,385,533.04 since the launch of the program at the end of January, 2022.
Mirugi said registration of more farmers is ongoing.
According to AFA, coffee is currently grown in 33 counties by an estimated 800,000 smallholder growers and 3,000 coffee estates with a total acreage of 119, 675 hectares being dedicated to coffee production.
“The coffee subsector attained remarkable growth soon after independence which led to the growth of to an all-time production of 129, 637 MT in 1987/1988 which has since reduced to 34,512 MT in 2020/2021,” the Coffee Directorate said.
Productivity equally dropped from six kgs per tree in 1988 to current two kg/tree, it added.
The top five coffee growing counties are Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Nyeri and Embu all in the Mt Kenya region.
Other counties with great potential outside the Mt Kenya region are Kericho, Bungoma, Trans-Nzoia, Nandi and Kisii.
