This archive report was first published on 15 June 2020.
On June 15, 2020, Embu County coffee farmers were given a glimmer of hope as Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya considered a debt waiver of Sh135 million.
The loan, initially Sh90 million from the Commodities Fund, had ballooned to Sh135 million due to interest. Embu Governor Martin Wambora and the mill's chairman, John Maruku, had appealed for the waiver, citing the increasing debt as a stumbling block to business at the mill.
Some cooperatives and estate farmers were reluctant to mill their coffee at the Embu County Coffee Mill in Kavuriti, fearing that their earnings could be used to clear the loan. However, Munya assured the farmers that the government was committed to ensuring they had alternatives for milling, which would bring competition to the sector.
“Although we are also renovating the New KPCU mills to produce quality coffee, we seek to ensure that farmers have alternatives for milling, which will bring competition to the sector,” Munya said after the meeting.
