Machakos: Mangoes, avocado take over village once ruled by coffee

Residents of Imilini village in Kathiani constituency within Machakos county are trying to forge a new way of life years after abandoning coffee farming.

The expansive coffee fields that had defined the area for decades have now become a distant memory – one that many locals say they want to forget.

Most of the residents have resorted to farming maize, avocado and mangoes – and are doing just fine.

In the past, homesteads were populated with coffee trees; loaded with coffee berries, – but not anymore.

According to the residents, there is always that feeling of nostalgia whenever they hear isolated stories about coffee farmers in other regions making money.

Speaking to Wananchi Reporting, a renowned teacher and farmer, Mr. John Kaunge, said that he initially directed his energy towards growing coffee.

However, his efforts fell short of prolonging its viability as a reliable cash crop in the area.

Eventually, he cleared his bushes to pave way for other crops.

Soon, more farms downsized their coffee plantations, leaving only a small number of farmers invested in it.

“Coffee was the main crop in this region; the money it generated was sufficient for most families.” Kaunge said.

According to Kaunge, things took a downward spiral due to a wide range of factors causing coffee payouts to take a serious hit.

“The pay-out went as low as Sh.20 per kilo and even below. It was not long before it became unsustainable especially with the cost of production increasing threefold,” he remembers with a tinge of nostalgia.

“That is how people became less interested and most coffee farmers started shifting to other farming activities,” says Kaunge.

Residents say that occasionally they hear stories about coffee farmers in other areas receiving huge payouts – but such stories are yet to turn their hearts back to their traditional crop. Coffee.

Many say that their reluctance to revert to coffee farming is born out of the fear of making losses as before.

“Maize crops, mangoes and avocados have not really disappointed the locals. The returns I would say are much better than what we would get from coffee,” says Kaunge.

Other residents have resorted to planting food crops to sustain their families after abandoning coffee farming.

They are now asking for technical and financial support from the county and national government as they seek to grow their new ventures.