Small scale coffee farmers contracted to Nyamonya Farmers Cooperative Society have been warned against hawking their cherry coffee produce to middlemen instead of delivering them for milling and marketing by the society.
The society's board chairman Moses Oroko has raised the red flag over reports that some farmers who had secured loans from Wakenya Pamoja Sacco Society after approval by the board have been secretly hawking their cherry coffee to other farmers, yet they are supposed to deliver the produce to the cooperative society to help the sacco recover loans from farmers.
Speaking on Tuesday morning in his office in Nyakegogi shopping centre, Oroko lamented that farmers who have resorted to hawking their cherry coffee produce were beneficiaries of the Coffee Development Loans disbursed by the sacco towards improving coffee quality and production but they have went against the agreement they signed with the Sacco.
Oroko reminded the farmers in question that they risk having their property auctioned to recover the loans, adding that they will also be blacklisted from accessing future loans targeting farmers from the cooperative society.
"I am warning small scale coffee growers contracted to our cooperative society to stop hawking their cherry coffee, instead, deliver their produce to the cooperative society for pulping, milling and marketing to ensure they earn high returns to enable them service their loans and provide for their family needs," said Oroko.