Coffee marketer raises the alarm over rogue agents

A notable case of failure is the Kenya Planters Co-operative Union (KPCU), which is currently under receivership over a debt owed to Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB).

KPCU, that at one time boasted of an estimated membership of 70,000 farmers and a 70 per cent market share has since sunk to the lowest owing to intense competition from new and efficient players.

A major setback for KPCU was poor management and failure to honour statutory obligations to various government and private agencies including farmers which prompted the government to forge a deal between Co-operative Bank and the Cooperative Development ministry to establish a new marketing firm that would cater for the needs of farmers as the giant firm wobbled in its day-to-day operations.

Mrs Murumba, however, remained optimistic KCCE would brave the setback and meet its set targets.

“We appreciate and commend coffee farmers for the visionary strategic initiative in forming KCCE that will forever change the fortunes of the coffee industry in Kenya,” she said.