Coffee farmers in Kangundo constituency in Machakos County have cried out to the government for help in managing the huge debts accrued by their factories over the years.
Speaking at a coffee stakeholders’ meeting hosted by area MP Fabian Muli in Kangundo on Wednesday, the farmers said the heavy burden of pending debts posed a big threat to the sub sector.
The farmers drawn from Kitwii, Kakuyuni, Mbilini, Muisuni, Kilalani and Kawethei Farmers Cooperative Societies cited mismanagement by subsequent management committees, high cost of farm inputs and outdated laws relating to marketing of the cash crop as the main factors which had led to its declining production.
“As we talk now, many officials of most of these coffee societies ought to have been jailed long time for their involvement in running down factories. To set farmers free from the cycle of debts, we must begin to see firm action taken against unscrupulous officials who embezzle farmers’ cash,” one of the farmers, Pascal Ndeti said.
Mbilini, Kilalani and Muisuni coffee societies have been hit by frequent squabbles where farmers have accused their respective factory officials of corruption and inefficiency.Area MP Fabian Muli revealed that coffee farmers’ debts in all the six key societies across the constituency had accumulated to over sh 100 million. “We have audit reports of all our coffee societies and they show that farmers’ debt burden is over sh 100 million.
This trend must be reversed immediately or else we lose the only cash crop which supports over 90 percent of local residents,” said the MP.The legislator said coffee licensing should be devolved so that counties will have powers to directly source for the most competitive prices of their respective coffee in the world market.
“Agriculture and Cooperatives are devolved and so should coffee and other cash crops. That way counties will be better placed to eliminate the existing cartels in the industry which exploit our farmers,” he said.
The MP said he had opened talks with Governor Alfred Mutua to explore ways in which the cooperative sector may be revamped. “I am already discussing with (Dr) Mutua to ensure a serious program to re-engineer our cooperative societies is begun and particularly in coffee and dairy producing regions.