Othaya: Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has discouraged coffee farmers from subdividing their coffee plantations into smaller pieces during succession. Kagwe urged the farmers to hand down their coffee plantations as a single family entity in order to ensure that they maximize the returns from coffee farming. The CS noted that the older generation of farmers tend to fragment their plantations into smaller units, which he said has resulted in reduced yields and lower returns for the farmers.

According to Kenya News Agency, Kagwe emphasized that subdividing coffee or tea plantations into smaller units will negatively impact the industry. He appealed to farmers to consider their farms as a family business, thereby passing down the entire plantation as a unit to their offspring. This approach, he suggested, would allow the returns from the sale of cherry to be shared among family members.

The CS also highlighted the need for the older generation of farmers to involve the youth in agriculture, noting that only 10 percent of Kenyan youth are currently engaged in the sector. He cited lack of mentorship, unattractiveness of the sector, and limited access to capital and land as major barriers for the youth.

Kagwe spoke in Othaya, Nyeri County, during a visit to the Gachatha Coffee Factory. He commended the directors for their transparent management of the 62-year-old coffee cooperative society. This year, more than 1,500 farmers affiliated with the cooperative earned bonuses at the rate of Sh150 per kilo of cherry delivered to the factory.

Furthermore, Kagwe urged directors of coffee societies to adopt transparency in their leadership. He identified infighting and corruption as key issues threatening the coffee sector, stressing the importance of involving farmers in decision-making processes, including financial planning.

Kagwe reassured farmers that the ministry is working to revitalize the coffee sub-sector and help regain its global standing as a leading exporter of high-quality coffee. Strategies include supporting farmers to increase their production capacity from the current 50,000 metric tonnes to 150,000 metric tonnes annually.

The CS expressed optimism about returning to the production levels of the 1970s, emphasizing the potential earnings given the current high prices in the coffee market.