Govenor says coffee board to blame for sector’s woes

By ERIC WAINAINA

Nairobi, Kenya: Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua has blamed the Coffee Board of Kenya (CBK) for the low prices coffee currently fetches.

Speaking in Kansas City in the United States of America (USA) where he is on a marketing tour, Mr Gachagua claimed that the subsector regulator had failed to rein in middlemen who exploit farmers.

He said the CBK has failed to enforce the Coffee Act, which bars middlemen from simultaneously holding marketing, milling and buyer licences.

“Buyers are comfortably holding milling and marketing licences through different entities…different companies but still the same people,” said Gachagua.

Reasonable returns

He added: “In reality, they take the coffee, mill it, grade it and market it to themselves.”

Gachagua gave an assurance that the Nyeri county government would not involve itself in buying and selling of coffee, as that was outside its mandate.

“Ours is to ensure there is equity in the value chain and farmers get a reasonable returns,” said Gachagua.

He said a meeting that was orgnanised by his administration and which was attended by millers, marketing agents, CBK and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei resolved that the county governments must exercise oversight over quality control issues in the sector to protect farmers’ interest.

In a video clip downloaded on Vimeo and distributed by Gachagua’s head of press Sally Nyoike, the governor is seen meeting six officials of an alleged coffee buyer House of Paris.

Gachagua is accompanied in the trip by the county executive member in charge of Trade Stanley Miano and Timothy O’Brien, an agent who was in Nyeri in February.

Gachagua said he was happy that the farmers would now be able to trace their produce from the farm to the markets.

He said Kenya coffee production has declined subtantially, with poor prices being the biggest impediment the sector faces.

“There is absolutely no incentive to grow coffee in Kenya at the moment,” said Gachagua.

He enumerated the challenges facing the Kenyan farmer, including the exaggeration of milling loses and manipulation of grading.

Meanwhile, stakeholders in the agricultural sector have agreed on the role each should play for its successful devolution.

The consensus was reached during a symposium that brought together governors, Government officials, agricultural experts and the private sector, among others.

The two-day event held at Safari Park Hotel was organised by Kenya Agribusiness and Agro-industry Alliance (KAAA).

Lucy Muchoki, the alliance executive officer, said after discussions, participants voted to agree on the roles each should play in the sector and those that should be shared.

Devolved governments, she said, were told to provide basic infrastructure such as roads, power and water to facilitate growth in the sector.

Muchoki, who spoke yesterday at the organisation’s  offices along Kiambu road, said the allocation of roles is aimed at developing a robust agricultural sector in the counties.

Participants also agreed that counties need to focus on farming activities where they have a competitive advantage.

Ms Muchoki said it was also agreed that counties should build integrated regional or national strategies to optimise.

“Counties should encourage local agro-entrepreneurs and well-managed producer organisations to undertake primary processing activities,” she said.