Revamp coffee sector

But if the Kenyan farmer is to get premium for the produce, we must continue to organise the markets by wiping out the unscrupulous cartels, brokers and speculators.

Kenya should never be worried about increasing its coffee output.

With a good retention plan, as developed by Brazil and Colombia some years back, and now by Vietnam, we can cushion the farmer from drastic drops.

But this also requires political support and policy realignment so that farmers do not abandon the crop entirely.

The coffee prices may be encouraging at the moment, but that does not mask the problems that the farmers face.

Unless, we carry out drastic changes and revitalise the sector, we cannot rely on low production as our shield.

So far, with the removal of quota system at the world market our coffee sector has continued to shrink.

That is not acceptable and the Ministry of Agriculture must come out with a formula to encourage farmers to open new coffee fields.