The great rip off: How coffee agents take farmers for a ride

A coffee farmer sorts out coffee berries at Dedan Kimathi University of Science and Technology in Nyeri. On October 3, 2023. [Kibata Kihu, Standard]

Around May this year, a coffee cooperative society in Kirinyaga County offered 160 bags of grade AA coffee for sale at the coffee auction through its marketing agent.

The agent got back to the cooperative's management, with what at the time sounded like good news, informing them that he had gotten a direct buyer for the coffee who would buy it at $500 (Sh75,000) against the $400 (Sh60,000) per bag it would fetch at the auction.