Gachagua hints on plans to write off coffee debts

Speaking when he commissioned Murang’a Coffee Mill on Wednesday, Gachagua stated that he will spearhead talks with the Ministry of Cooperatives to scrutinize debts owed by farmers. 

He noted that within a period of three weeks, the exercise of vetting the debts will be over and farmers should expect good news.

Gachagua argued that the president has good will towards reviving the coffee sector and one way of doing so is to write off all the loans owed by farmers.

The deputy president expressed his commitment to streamline the coffee sector, saying reforms being implemented have started to bear fruits. He added that Kenya exported large amounts of coffee last year and government is working to eliminate all cartels who for a long time have been exploiting farmers.

According to Gachagua, the Cherry Advance Fund which now stands at Ksh. 4 billion is aimed to support farmers to increase production and caution them from financial constraints. 

The money is available to all coffee farmers but not to only those who supply their coffee through New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU).

He added that coffee farmers will also be able to access subsidised fertiliser at their cooperative society within a period of less than one month.

Gachagua lauded Murang’a farmers cooperative union for establishing the coffee mill, saying the facility will assist in processing and selling final product without engaging many players.

He noted that the coffee will be processed and packaged at the mill and the union has a license to directly export their product without having many players in the middle. 

The coffee mill commenced its operations after the government assisted the facility to get a transformer last month.

The plant has the capacity to process 1. 2 tonnes of coffee per hour with management of the union working to increase the processing capacity to more than 5 tonnes per hour.

Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives Simon Chelugui praised the installation of the plant, saying farmers from the county will benefit more from their produce.

Chelugui lauded Murang’a farmers for taking advantage of the cherry advance fund saying more than 15, 000 coffee farmers have benefited from the kitty.

He acclaimed that more than 15, 000 farmers from Murang'a County have sourced a total of Ksh.354 million from the Cherry Fund kitty.