Rigathi Gachagua to convene stakeholders' conference on coffee reforms

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has announced he will convene a four-day stakeholder-conference in Meru County next month on the implementation of coffee reforms.

Early this year President William Ruto under an Executive Order tasked his deputy with the role of spearheading reforms in the coffee and tea sub sectors.

Mr Gachagua who was speaking at Kahiraini Catholic Church in his Mathira backyard on Sunday during a requiem mass said he had also already hosted several discussions with smaller groups, including Parliamentary Caucus on Coffee and Tea Sub-Sector Reforms.

Also read: Coffee farmers appeal to DP as prices drop 50pc

“Tomorrow (Monday),  I will be hosting the vice president of Columbia I had invited him and we shall be sharing experiences and discuss matters relating to coffee because their country has succeeded in fetching good prices for their farmers, next month we shall hold a major conference to discuss this matter which I was tasked by the President” he said.    

Mr Gachagua said the conference, will bring together representatives of farmers from coffee-growing counties, governors and lawmakers, Cabinet Secretaries for Trade, Agriculture, Cooperatives and members of the Coffee Exchange and Coffee Directorate among other relevant agencies.

“The purpose is to agree on what needs to be done and the MPs and Senators will take it from there and come up with regulations and legislations to cushion farmers from middlemen,” he said.

The meeting is to enrich ongoing discussions on reforms in the sub-sector at Parliament, and other avenues, including his office.

“We have embarked on an elaborate strategy bringing the stakeholders together to find out the interventions required in terms of direct marketing of our tea and value addition,” he said.

Last month he visited coffee and tea farmers in his Mathira backyard where he assured them that plans are underway to ensure their crops fetched better prices.