Under the Coffee Revitalization Program, the New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (NKPCU) is set to distribute 20 million coffee seedlings to farmers across the country in two years in the government’s latest initiative to revamp the sector.
The NKPCU Managing Director Timothy Mirugi said they are targeting to distribute 1 million seedlings in the first year and already the exercise kicked off last week in Kakamega and was aimed at taking advantage of the current rains.
He said in total they are targeting to distribute 20 million free coffee seedlings across the country which is a government initiative aimed at boosting production from 50MT to 150MT.
This past Saturday, farmers in Kakamega County collected seedlings based on holes they had prepared and proceeded to plant – which is a key toward the sector’s revival. Kakamega is one the emerging zones where farmers have embraced coffee farming, and which will help the country to achieve its goal in increasing production and consequently earnings.
Mirugi said the govermnet through NKPCU will continue equipping farmers with improved planting materials and technical support to make the program successful.
He said the overall aim of the program is to uplift livelihoods, create jobs, boost foreign exchange earnings and drive long-term poverty reduction
He noted that since the rains have arrived, farmers should take advantage to prepare their farms, plant coffee seedlings as this will renew the future for Kenyan coffee.
