Coffee farmers society from Machakos county has stated that the main reason farmers have shifted from growing coffee to other crops is the poor market price.
This is after President Uhuru Kenyatta recently formed a committee to meet with coffee farmers and research on the main problems facing the cash crop.
During a meeting in Machakos town headed by the chairman of Machakos Cooperative Union Patrick Katingima, the farmers urged government to put in place new farming technology.
"The main problem facing coffee farming is the poor cost that our harvest is purchased at. Farmers use a lot of finances in preparing and harvesting process but on the contrary the gain is little following the cost that factories buy the coffee seeds," said Katingima.
The farmers further called upon the government to put in place modern farming technology so as to match coffee farming from other parts of the world.
Most of the coffee farmers have in the past cut down coffee trees and instead opted for other crops including maize and beans due to the low income.
Among the committee members present during the forum are, coffee farmers, CEO of Machakos and Makueni Cooperative Union Martin Nangila, private farmers and all coffee societies from the two counties.
The farmers during the forum stated the challenges they face and all the solutions needed to improve coffee farming.