Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

President William Ruto has pledged to have the tea, coffee and dairy sectors streamlined so that the farmers can enjoy their rightful benefits.

Ruto promised to address the hitches in the tea sector which have affected the tea sales at the Mombasa auction.

Speaking during a tour in Murang’a County, the president said the earnings from tea this year are expected to increase by over Ksh40 billion from Ksh170 to Ksh210.

“We must streamline the sector and deal with a few unscrupulous brokers who want to hijack the market and exploit the farmer,“ Ruto said.

“We want to ensure the tea farmers in the country get their rightful returns,” he added.

In the coffee sector, he said the move to have the farmers represented in the coffee auction was a step ahead in ensuring transparency in the coffee sales.

Ruto to dairy farmers

“There is a small bit that’s yet to be addressed and I am appealing for a little more time to sort it out, “he remarked.

The president also said the government would release Ksh5.7 billion for the coffee cherry advance and debt waiver and called for proper management of the funds.

For the dairy sector, he said the new board installed to manage the new KCC has the mandate to streamline it and ensure the farmers get Ksh50 per litre of milk.

He urged the newly appointed cabinet secretary for agriculture Andrew Karanja to work with stakeholders in these sectors and address the challenges facing them.

On his part, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said he has been working to streamline the coffee sector but the cartels are fighting back.

“There are about 17 cartels lined up in the coffee sector but we are almost edging them out so that the farmer can start getting their rightful benefit,” Gachagua stated.

He also divulged that he would be meeting with the newly elected tea factory directors to lay down strategies for managing the sector

Among the major projects to be implemented in the county include, 20 markets to be constructed to the tune of Ksh1.2 billion, ten coolers to boost the dairy sector in the area, 15,000 residents to be connected to electricity in the last mile connection program at a cost of Ksh1 billion and Ksh5 million for the installation of solar-powered dryers for the coffee factories in Mathioya sub-county.

The local leaders Edwin Mugo MP Mathioya, Ndindi Nyoro MP Kiharu, and Peter Kihungi MP Kangema pledged to support the president in driving the development agenda in the area.