Small-holder coffee growers from Nyamonya Farmers Co-operative Society in Sameta sub-county,an affiliate of the Gusii Coffee Farmers Co-operative Union(GCFCU),have finally been paid for their produce which was forcefully delivered to the Union by the Kisii County Government officials.
The farmers who have been waiting for long since their produce was forcefully diverted to the GCFCU coffee mill by the Kisii County Government as it was destined for milling and marketing at Sasini coffee mills in Central Kenya.
Speaking to this writer the frmers expressed confidence that their coffee produce hd paid fruits after a long suffering over its fate as it ws intercepted by the Kisii County Agriculture Executive Committee Member,Vincent Sagwe accusing the society's management of ferrying coffee out of the County without the County Government's authority.
"We are now happy that our coffee produce has been sold and payments made.We have been wondering what happened after the produce was forcefully diverted to the Gusii coffee mill by the County Government of Kisii, contrary to the movement permit issued to our society chairman,Moses Onchabo Oroko to ferry our coffee to Sasini coffee mills,"Stated Mocha Daudi, one of the farmers.
Daudi expressed confidence in the current mangement of the society,saying,the team has transformed the coffee sector in the area after the sector went down under the watch of the former mangement board.
He warned the Kisii County Government against interferring with affairs of coffee co-operative societies,when it comes to milling and marketing of their coffee,since coffee is all about chasing the best market opportunity and not about a county or miller.
Jane Chanai,one of the farmers commended the mnagement for bringing the payments at the right time when the farmers needed cash for hybrid maize seedlings and fertilizers for the current planting season.
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