Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has asked coffee farmers to brace themselves for one more year as the government battles with coffee cartels.
Gachagua made the remarks on Tuesday, August 15 when he presided over the re-opening of the Nairobi Coffee Exchange Auction.
At the same time, the DP called out marketers and other coffee buyers who were exploiting farmers by buying coffee at a small price then selling it at a hugely high price.
The marketers according to Gachagua have been holding farmers hostage for long and ripping where they did not sow as they are getting a lion share of the profit.
”How come the person who has done much of the job is getting a small share and the person taking the coffee to the market get everything else?” Gachagua said.
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Gachagua added that President William Ruto and he have no interest whatsoever in the coffee sector and will keep fighting coffee cartels.
Moreover, Gachagua accused the media of publishing untrue stories about issues about the coffee sector saying it has collapsed.
Gachagua on coffee buyers
Lashing at coffee middlemen who are exploiting farmers, he told off those who had threatened to boycott buying coffee from the farmers.
He added that incase the buyers resist buying, the government will buy the coffee from farmers, stock it and look for a market.
”They said the other day they will not buy coffee and they don’t want change. There is no problem, even if you don’t buy coffee. The government has a plan, if they resist buying, we will pay the farmers, stock the coffee, and look for a market,’ Gachagua added.
Subsidized fertilizer
The second in command also rooted for the government’s subsidized fertilizer retailing at Ksh2500.
He encouraged farmers to avoid buying any fertilizer at a higher price because the subsidized fertilizer was available countrywide.
Again, addressing the ongoing coffee reforms, he stated that the Cooperative Act and Coffee Act will go hand in hand in making them successful.
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”We are going to have reforms, when we are doing the Coffee Act, it will go hand in hand with the cooperatives Act. Because if you deal with one without another, you are not solving anything,” emphasized Gachagua.
The former Mathira Member of Parliament has been on the forefront championing coffee reforms as he promises farmers that the government is fighting cartels to revive the sector.
