Laikipia county mulls coffee farming to curb over-reliance on livestock

Governor Joshua Irungu said that the crop can do well in the Marmanet, Githiga and Ol-Moran wards due to the favourable climate.

He noted that Laikipia is known for livestock farming, but he indicated that there are plans to convert the area into a coffee growing area.

This, he said, will help address the issue of over-reliance on livestock and the persistent cases of livestock rustling.

“This is a form of diversification that will enable the people of the area to embrace crop farming as an alternative to livestock farming,” Irungu said.

He spoke at Lela village in Luonyiek area of ​​Kirima Sub-County on Tuesday, when he toured the farm of an investor who has planted over 4,000 Batian coffee trees.

The project also seeks to address the challenges posed by climate change.

The move towards coffee farming is also anticipated to create employment opportunities for youth and women.