Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has finally certified Gusii Coffee Farmers Co-operative Union (GCFCU) in Kisii town,to package and brand its coffee for local marketing as sourcing for international market takes a centre stage.
The union Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Robert Mainya said GCFCU had met quality standards required by KEBS,before it was awarded the standard mark to proceed to packaging and marketing its coffee locally.
Speaking to this writer in his office, Mainya disclosed that the Union has rolled out its packaging and marketing strategy, to ensure its product wins preference among local consumers before expanding its strategy of sourcing for an international coffee consumption market destination through the assistance of the Kisii County Government.
He clarified that, the Union management had first resolved to start packaging coffee from its Simbaut Farm, before allowing coffee from its affiliate primary co-operative societies,since the roaster capacity was not sufficient enough to handle large volumes of coffee beans.
"As a Union management we have decided to use our small capacity roaster to roast our coffee from Simbaut Farm,as we make arrangements to acquire a large capacity coffee roaster to handle high volumes of coffee beans,including the one from our affiliate primary co-operative societies,"clarified Mainya.
He challenged Kisii County Government to fast-track sourcing of an international market destination for the Union's packaged coffee,to enhance sustainability of the project since local coffee consumption was low and will lead to wastage if a lot of coffee was packaged for local marketing.end