Coffee farmers in Kenya have urged the government to invest in supporting the farmers to ensure there is constant improvement in the quality of the beans.
One of the things the farmers are requesting is the provision of a laboratory to help them ascertain the quality of coffee before subjecting it to the auction.
“We need to have a capping laboratory which is able to give us the capping for all our coffees so that we are able to tell which of our coffee in an auction is of poor quality.” said one of the coffee farmers.
Read: CBK, Horticulture Export Earnings Drops 5pc
They say physical bean grading has led to the sale of contaminated beans because the farmers cannot tell which coffee has higher levels of chemicals by the use of eyes.
The farmers also urged the government to implement a policy for a minimum guaranteed return, such that farmers can estimate what they expect in return for their produce.
Alongside the policies, the farmers also say that the government needs to show commitment by financially supporting them.
“What are we advocating for besides the issue of coming up with laws that protect the farmers is supporting farmers to become independent,” said another farmer.
Email your news TIPS to editor@thesharpdaily.com
