This archive report was first published on 22 April 2020.
On April 22, 2020, the World Bank announced a KSh1.5 billion investment in Kenya's coffee sector, aimed at improving the production of specialty coffee.
The funds will be distributed to eight counties – Muranga, Kiambu, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Kirinyaga, and Nyeri – which account for nearly 70% of the country's coffee production.
Additionally, the money will be issued to cooperatives, which will provide farmers with seeds and subsidized fertilizer to enhance productivity.
As part of the program, some funds will be used to automate cooperative processes and modernize equipment.
According to Agriculture CS Peter Munya, 'Some components of these funds will be used in marketing. We want to improve the productivity of specialty coffee and link farmers to direct markets in order to eliminate the issue of cartels.'
The program aims to eliminate cartels by sourcing the market for farmers, enabling direct sales of their produce at the best prices.
With the long-term goal of increasing productivity from the current 40,000 metric tonnes annually to more than 100,000 metric tonnes, the program seeks to transform the coffee sector.
