This archive report was first published on 4 August 2020.
On August 4, 2020, Meru County Coffee Union (Maccu) marked a significant milestone by commencing its own milling operations at Chaaria in Central Imenti. This development comes after the union was evicted from the old Kenya Planters Cooperative Union mill in Meru town.
Maccu Chairman Zablon Mbaabu stated that the union had been forcefully evicted from the Meru town mill, but they were determined to continue providing services to their affiliated farmers. He revealed that farmers had started delivering their coffee at Chaaria, where the new milling equipment had been installed.
Before the eviction, Maccu was milling up to 40,000 bags (in 50kg bags) of parchment annually. However, due to prevailing low prices, the union has decided to delay the sale of their coffee until October when prices are expected to stabilize.
On the other hand, New KPCU and agriculture ministry officials have expressed confidence in the agency's ability to provide better services to farmers. New KPCU chair Henry Kinyua assured farmers that the agency was in talks with the Coffee Research Institute to provide seedlings to farmers in need. He also announced that farmers would have access to a Sh3 billion advance fund and inputs.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya welcomed the competition, stating that it was a free market and that farmers should have alternatives to choose from. He emphasized that the national government had registered the New KPCU with a mandate to receive, warehouse, mill, and market coffee for and on behalf of coffee farmers and their cooperative societies.
Charles Mutwiri of Mukarimu Coffee Estate, who previously delivered to Maccu, has also jumped ship to join New KPCU. He cited the government's offer of better security as the reason for his decision.
