Farmers at Gatagua Cooperative Society in Murang’a have rejected a directive from Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya regarding the payment of coffee proceeds. The directive, which aims to have coffee growers receive their payments directly through the Direct Settlement System (DSS) after the auction of coffee, was met with strong opposition from the farmers.
At their annual general meeting on Friday, the farmers, led by Chairman Nahason Chege, expressed their dissatisfaction with the directive. They argued that Oparanya’s decision would not address the underlying issues facing coffee societies.
James Irungu, one of the farmers, suggested that the government should have first focused on providing growers with the necessary inputs before addressing payment systems. “The directive ought to have supported us with inputs to nurture our coffee, rather than just focusing on payment systems,” Irungu said.
Susan Wangechi, another farmer, emphasized that the government had neglected the sector. “The government has abandoned coffee farmers, and no inputs are being channeled to the sector,” she stated.
Chege, in his remarks, argued that the new payment system would undermine the cooperative movement. “The government has failed to provide subsidized fertilizer to farmers over the last three years, so why the urgency to implement this payment change?” he asked. He also expressed concerns that the DSS would remove the farmers’ ability to influence how their payments are managed. “The spirit of the cooperative will die if farmers no longer have a say in their payments,” Chege warned.
Instead of imposing new directives, Chege suggested the government focus on resolving the challenges that hinder the smooth operation of coffee societies. “If the government truly wants to help coffee farmers, they should first ensure extension officers are paid so they can teach us better farming practices and ways to increase our revenue,” he said.
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