Relief to farmers as coffee factory set to begin operations

Farmers in Embu County will now have earn more for their coffee after Governor martin Wambora confirmed that the Kavutiri Coffee Milling factory will begin operation in January 2017.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Wambora said he would meet with 24 coffee society chairmen and coffee buyers, who form the Kavutiri coffee milling plant, on Tuesday to discuss proceedings in regards to operations of the milling factory.

“The foreign buyers have agreed to buy coffee from the Kavutiri miller in order to keep business within the county,” he said.

He further intimated that the county government had secured Ksh7 million from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) to improve the road network between Manyatta and Runyenjes towns in Embu County for efficient transportation of coffee.

“Ksh3 million has been allocated to Manyatta coffee farmers and Ksh4 million to Runyenjes coffee farmers to improve the roads in those two areas”, he said.

The milling factory was built in an attempt to boost coffee productivity within the county and to ensure coffee farmers do not end up selling their coffee below its value as has been happening within the county.

The milling machinery has a capacity of 2.8 tonnes per hour and is targeting 110,000 coffee farmers, as well as employ more than 200 people directly.

Written by Velma Barasa