Coffee loans ready, says CS

Sammy Mandera, a coffee farmer tends to his coffee trees at Misesi in Kisii County. [Sammy Omingo/Standard]

The New Kenya Planters Co-operative Union (KPCU) has started disbursing coffee cherry advance revolving fund, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has announced.

Mr Munya said KPCU is disbursing the Sh3 billion fund based on new coffee deliveries at the milling plant in Dandora.

He further announced that milling of coffee, which began in January, was on track and that the operations started as soon as Agriculture Food Authority issued KPCU a marketing licence.

Speaking at KPCU Dandora milling plant in Nairobi yesterday, Munya said the union had started negotiating with both local and overseas buyers to get best prices for farmers.

He noted that the new re-structuring at the union was being informed by the need to revitalise and turn the coffee sector around.

“This will ensure farmers get a fair share from coffee contribution to the coffee value chain,” said Munya.

The fund, he noted, will give loans to farmers affiliated to various co-operatives at an interest rate of three per cent.

The government, he further said, was supporting farmers to access affordable inputs after negotiating prices of fertiliser down from Sh2,800 to Sh2,300 per 50kg bag of DAP.

“The union has signed an MoU with Kenya National Trading Corporation to distribute fertilisers to farmers,” the CS stated.

The national government, Munya added, will soon embark on refurbishing all factories, cooperatives and new KPCU.

“Ongoing reforms in coffee will continue,” the CS told farmers.

Munya said coffee farming will be affected by the Covid-19 crisis, but urged farmers not to lose hope.