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Nyeri injects Sh200m into coffee kitty

Nyeri County has created a Sh200 million coffee rejuvenation kitty to increase annual production to 140 million kilograms by 2022.

Governor Mutahi Kahiga said the money would be disbursed in two budgetary phases drawn from the county’s equitable share and local resources.

“We have already utilised a Sh50 million budget that bought 90,000 bags of lime to check the acidity of our coffee farms. We will impart a further Sh100 million to buy three soil scanners and the balance be set aside to subsidise the sector,” he told the Business Daily.

Mr Kahiga said coffee farming in the county had been erratic since farmers did not have reliable information on the soil to help them in fertiliser use.

Agriculture Executive James Wachihi said: “Soil testing has been a costly affair per sample.

Farmers were expected to part with Sh1,500. That one sample will now be costing a farmer Sh600 under this programme.”

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