Kiamworia Chief James Karanja has urged Gatundu South farmers to join the proposed coffee union to facilitate marketing of the produce.
Karanja said that the union is the best vehicle to market their produce in a bid to flush out middle men.
“The formation of the union will ensure coffee farmers enjoy the best prices in the local and international market,” said Karanja.
Speaking on Wednesday at Kiamworia Shopping Center, during a public meeting to sensitize coffee farmers on the importance of the union, Karanja said that lack of a collective union has been the major obstacle in the marketing of coffee.
The meeting comes at the wake of last week’s meeting that was convened by Kiambu Deputy Governor Gerald Githinji at Gatundu Town that proposed the creation of a union to facilitate the marketing of coffee and save the ailing sector from collapsing.
Karanja said that coffee industry is one of the major contributors to the economy of Kiambu County, and urged farmers to step up their efforts.
“Coffee farmers should increase their efforts in production of this cash crop to improve their livelihood and generate wealth,” said Karanja.
The administrator urged county government to facilitate the growth of coffee industry by putting in place favorable policies and provisions of affordable credit facilities to farmers.
He also said that the challenges facing the sector would be addressed to give hope to farmers.
“The challenges of leadership and mismanagement will be dealt with to give confidence in the sector,” added Karanja.
The sector has received a kick start from the national government, after it started to implement a six-year Integrated Coffee Productivity Project (ICCP) that aims to increase production and earnings among farmers.