Farmers urged to cash in as coffee hits Sh120 per kilo

Farmers encouraged to increase production as coffee prices rise. [File Courtesy]

Coffee farmers from the Lower Eastern Region have been urged to increase production in order to benefit from the current rise in coffee prices.

Machakos Co-operative Union (the umbrella body of coffee farmers in the Lower Eastern Region) chairman Alex Muindi appealed to farmers who had abandoned coffee farming to return and take advantage of the improved prices.

He also encouraged active farmers to double their production to maximise earnings.

Speaking during the union’s 54th Annual General Meeting, Muindi said the current price of over Sh120 per kilogramme was a significant improvement from the previous Sh60, describing it as an opportunity for farmers to benefit.

He further urged the union’s over 35,000 members to deliver their coffee to the Lower Eastern Coffee Mill (LECOM), which is owned by the union, and to avoid diverting produce to other millers. “Delivering your coffee to LECOM reduces many of the costs previously incurred when taking it to external millers,” he said.

The union’s Chief Executive Officer, Martin Malila, said LECOM had received a donation of a modern automatic packaging machine from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), boosting its milling operations.

He said the support from international partners demonstrated growing confidence in the union and should be matched by increased commitment from farmers in supporting their own mill.

Malila also praised the national Government for writing off part of the union’s debts, while urging continued support to ease farmers’ burden.

Machakos County Co-operative Director Ann Masai urged farmers to make full use of LECOM to reduce costs associated with transporting coffee to distant millers.

She said the county government, under Governor Wavinya Ndeti, was committed to improving the welfare of farmers through various initiatives, but stressed the need for farmers to support local institutions.