Trans Nzoia County’s Agriculture Executive, Phanice Khatundi, has called on residents to embrace coffee farming as a means to improve their livelihoods, highlighting ongoing county investments aimed at strengthening the sector. Speaking at a sensitization and capacity-building meeting held at the Kitale Museum, Khatundi emphasized the county’s dedication to supporting coffee farmers through various initiatives.
“Our focus is to ensure residents have money in their pockets. Coffee farming is a lucrative venture, and we are providing support to help our farmers increase production and add value to their produce,” she stated.
The meeting, organized by the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the New Kenya Planters Co-Operative Union and local coffee farmers, focused on the benefits of the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund (CCARF). This government fund is designed to boost coffee production by offering affordable loans to farmers. Khatundi noted that while the county has over 6,000 coffee farmers, only 800 have benefited from the fund so far—a number she described as lower compared to other counties.
“We want more farmers to take advantage of this fund. It will help them scale up production and improve the quality of their coffee,” she stressed, adding that the fund is crucial for helping Trans Nzoia’s coffee farmers compete effectively in the market.
Khatundi also highlighted the county’s efforts to improve the coffee value chain, mentioning the installation of a coffee milling machine in Kiminini Sub-county. “Next financial year, we will allocate more resources to set up additional milling plants in other sub-counties,” she said.
She further outlined various initiatives aimed at supporting coffee farmers, including the distribution of free seedlings and the establishment of coffee nurseries for farmer groups. “These are steps towards building a sustainable coffee industry in Trans Nzoia,” she added.
At the same event, Angeline Ndambuki, CCARF’s Operations Manager, encouraged farmers to apply for the fund, emphasizing that it provides an affordable way to access working capital. “This fund is tailored to ease the financial burden on small-scale farmers and enable them to invest in quality inputs,” Ndambuki said.
Michael Wanjohi from the Coffee Cherry Advance Fund and Moses Wandwasi, a field officer for Trans Nzoia, echoed these sentiments, urging farmers to increase their uptake of the fund to enhance their competitiveness.
“Coffee is Kenya’s top foreign exchange earner, and our farmers should capitalize on every opportunity to increase their earnings,” Khatundi added, assuring the county government’s support in helping farmers add value to their produce.
The Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund (CCARF) was established to provide affordable, sustainable, and accessible loans to smallholder coffee farmers, particularly those with land under coffee cultivation not exceeding 20 acres. The fund, further supported by the National Government, has been disbursing loans at revised rates since December 20, 2023.
The meeting brought together coffee industry stakeholders and aimed to encourage more farmers to benefit from the available resources, as the county seeks to position coffee farming as a key driver of economic growth.
