Coffee farmers in Embu are set to benefit from revised reforms under the price stabilisation framework released by the Ministry of Agriculture.
On Tuesday, chairman of the county technical committee on coffee price stabilisation framework John Kathangu said the farmers will be pleased with the changes. .
He said after the committee was appointed by Agriculture CS Peter Munya last year, it compiled a report launched on May 5.
Kathangu said the report is full of reforms that will ensure farmers benefit from their produce compared with the past.
"I have the report and I can attest that it contains very important reforms that will improve coffee farming," Kathangu said.
Kathangu said the reforms will take effect immediately.
The sector has seen production dwindling each year and the report is aiming at changing that.
Coffee, which is mainly grown in most Mt Kenya region counties, has been recording poor sales in the international market pushing it behind tea, tourism and horticulture.
However, the sector has recovered in the past two years.
In the year 2021-22 coffee prices improved at auction and recorded an average of $374.40 (Sh39,000) per 60kg bag from $337.30(Sh35,000) in the previous year.
Kathangu said the reforms will require factories to elect leaders without graft records for a term of three years, renewable once.
The report says communication will improve between coffee farmers and millers.
Kathangu, who also chairs the sugarcane committee in Kenya, said the reforms will pay coffee farmers to match those in the tea sector.
Meanwhile, Kathangu blamed Embu MPs for failing farmers by remaining silent in Parliament instead of initiating bills to reforms the sector.
"Our MPs from coffee grower areas are doing nothing. CS Munya brought a coffee Cill but you are taking long to debate it," Kathangu said.
Kathangu urged Embu Senator Njeru Ndwiga to withdraw the coffee Bill saying it has nothing to benefit farmers.
Source: The Star