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Growers Earned Sh130m From Coffee Sale

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Twenty-five co-operative societies in the three Kisii districts last year earned Sh130 million (about US$1.7million) from coffee, despite the depressed world prices.

The Kisii Farmers Co-operative Union general manager, Mr Robert Mainya said that during the 1999-2000 financial year, the income dropped by nearly 70 per cent as farmers were demoralised.

He said because of depressed world prices and liberalisation, coffee production had also drastically dropped.

Speaking to the Nation in his office, Mr Mainya said farmers were selling their crop to middlemen following the liberalisation of the market.

Mr Mainya said farmers were being exploited by the middlemen who were smuggling the crop to Uganda.

He blamed the decline in production on poor farming practices.

Mainya urged farmers to attend education seminars organised by the union to to learn new technologies.

He said the farmers are required to understand well the primary coffee processing aspects, as well as to follow the right crop husbandry.