Weighing of coffee now set to go digital

• Use of manual scales has long been associated with ‘ghost kilos’ where recorders manipulate the system to award some farmers extra kilos in exchange for cash

The manual system of weighing coffee will soon go digital in some factories, in a bid to improve efficiency and increase farmers’ earnings.

Using manual scales has long been associated with mismanagement and by embracing the new technology, farmers are optimistic it will help revive the sector.

“‘Ghost kilogrammes’ are common as factory recorders manipulate the system to award some farmers extra kilogrammes in exchange for cash,” says Mr Justus Nthiwa.

Mr Nthiwa, a coffee farmer in Mbooni district, says ‘ghost kilogrammes’ or kilo hewa as commonly known, have deprived farmers of their livelihoods as they do not get value for their deliveries.

Part of the genesis of this is that less than a kilo of the crop is not recognised in the manual system.

“If the same is done to a number of farmers, I do not know who is paid the sum total, which explains the genesis of kilo hewa,” he says.

Mr Paul Muema, a recorder with Kikima Cooperative Society, says: “We do not recognise less than a kilo as this is assumed to compensate for the sack used to carry the beans.”

Information system

However, six factories under the society will soon install a management information system that will recognise any measure delivered.

“The digital scale will record the exact weight of the dry beans and will be reflected at the server. Farmers will be paid for the sum total of the crop delivered,” Mr Muema says.

With the shift to automation, it is hoped that mismanagement in the factories will be eliminated. The system is to be implemented by the Kenya Coffee Producers Association and supported by Ufadhili Trust through the CoopWorks Project as a pilot project in effort to increase efficiency in the sector. It will also ease record keeping at the cooperative society level.

Mrs Lucy Kimani, Kenya Coffee Producers Association chief executive officer, says the system will inject accuracy right from the factory to the server and ensure farmers get value for their deliveries.

“Farmers will benefit from increased earnings as a result,” she says.

“Besides reducing the time spent by farmers to wait for the receipt, which always takes time, the new system will also reduce the cost of buying paper,” Muema observes.