County Governornment Continues to Strengthen the Capacities of Coffee Farmers

In order to meet market demand requirements for Coffee, The County Government of Uasin Gishu, Department of Agriculture Agribusiness Livestock and Fisheries on Wednesday continued on a program that aims at strengthening the capacities of coffee farmers at AIC Cheplelachbei in Megun Ward, Kapseret Sub-County.

Leading the exercise County Coffee officer Mr. Nicholas Maritim accompanied by Moses Wandwasi from Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU) Regional Field Office, said that the county has been championing crop diversification over the years to uplift farmers’ living standards.

He expressed County’s commitment to supporting coffee farmers to ensure they reap maximum benefit from the crop.Maritim said that Coffee farmers should utilize Government Subsidies available through New KPCU Namely, Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund which has no interest but with a 3 percent processing fee, Farm inputs subsidy, farm input advance, Cherry advance and Parchment advance.

Maritim said that the diversification journey has so far succeeded since many farmers took the initiative and embraced the high-value crops and are now benefiting from the exchange.

“We currently have farmers who embraced coffee farming back in 2017 with an estimate of 1,300 who are currently practicing coffee farming approximating to about 1, 200 acres as per the statistics of September this year,” said Maritim.