Coffee farmers in three Mt Kenya counties to get free fertiliser

Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri is betting on investigations by anti-graft agencies to establish how money meant for maize farmers ended up in the pockets of traders and middlemen. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Kiunjuri said the government has lined up a raft of measures and incentives to revive coffee farming.
  • He said the government will also start distribution of free avocado seedlings and pyrethrum seeds.
  • He noted that his ministry has started taking fertiliser to Karatina, Sagana, Kiganjo and Meru stores.

Coffee farmers in Nyeri, Kirinyaga and Meru counties will receive free fertiliser from the national government under a pilot programme aimed at increasing the production of the crop.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri said the pilot programme is being carried out in conjunction with the three county governments.

“We are encouraging coffee farmers and we are carrying out trials in the three counties where we want to give 100 percent subsidised fertilizer to the farmers so that we can be able to increase production,” said Mr Kiunjuri.

He made the statement while addressing journalists at Kiamuiru Catholic Church in Nyeri after presiding over a choir festival competition where he also donated 600 pieces of uniform to the choirs.

SOIL FERTILITY

Mr Kiunjuri said in the coffee revival programme, the three county governments are expected to support farmers with lime to improve the soil fertility.

“Nyeri, for instance, has already bought 100,000 bags of lime, same to Kirinyaga and Meru which has bought 120,000 bags. What we expect as government is that for every one bag of lime, the farmer should use two bags of fertilizer,” said Mr Kiunjuri.

He noted that his ministry has started taking fertiliser to Karatina, Sagana, Kiganjo and Meru stores.

“We expect the harvest to be boosted by almost five times. If they properly apply lime and fertiliser we expect a bush tree that is now producing two kilogrammes of cherry to produce ten kilogrammes. And that is one support we are giving to our farmers," emphasized Mr Kiunjuri.

He noted that the government has lined up a raft of measures and incentives to revive coffee farming and make it a profitable occupation in the country.

“There are so many incentives that we are giving farmers,” he noted.

He further announced that the government will also start distribution of free avocado seedlings and pyrethrum seeds, in bid to uplift Kenya's economy and encourage diversified farming.