Murang’a farmers’ union and the county government have formed a board to help in reviving the region’s coffee sub-sector by putting in place measures to restore its former glory. 

Governor Mwangi Wa Iria said the biggest challenge facing the sub-sector is poor management and marketing strategies.

The board, he said, would oversee the consolidation of the coffee societies into one for easier management. Wa Iria said the board being led by Maragu Kinandu is expected to produce a blueprint on the strategies to be deployed in reviving the sub-sector.

He said the disjointed management of factories and societies has given room to cartels to take charge of the sub-sector, adding: “We want the sector organised so that it becomes easier to monitor all the operations.”

He said the factories have been operating as semi-autonomous entities, making them vulnerable to exploitation by the cartels.

He said despite there being a coffee milling plant which is owned by the farmers’ union, the factories don’t use it and instead go sourcing for private millers.

Several measures

Wa Iria said the county government has already initiated several measures to boost coffee production in the county.  “We have Kahawa bora programme which has seen the production increase by 75 per cent from 20 to 35 tonnes in a year,” he added.