By CiaMeru
Meru county government and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have opened talks to help coffee farmers access the world market.
Speaking during a meeting with Meru governor Peter Munya on Monday, FAO Kenya representative Luca Alinovi said the organization is ready to provide expertise on quality production and access to the international market through direct sale.
Also present was, FAO Kenya Assistant Representative Daniel Wachira, Head of Crops and agribusiness Alessio Colussi and Meru County programme Officer Mercy Muleru.
Mr Colussi, an agronomist, who has worked with illycafe an Italian coffee roasting company that specializes in the production of espresso, said there was need for farmers to improve the quality of coffee.
“We can link Meru coffee farmers with top world coffee buyers. FAO is ready to midwife the process to ensure farmers get a reliable market. However, there is need for farmers to adhere to set standards of quality,” Mr Colussi said.
He cited the central auction and a series of technical aspects of the coffee value chain as major barriers in the sector.
Mr Munya noted that the Meru County Coffee Millers Cooperative had faced challenges in utilizing the second window in marketing due to interference from middlemen.
He said the difficulties forced the miller to acquire a commercial marketing license to have access to the central auction.
“When we brought coffee farmers together, we were targeting to sell coffee through the second window. Middlemen interfered with willing buyers leading to their withdrawal.
We really need FAO’s expertise and rich network that will give us access to the world market,” Mr Munya said.
Mr Colussi said through his experience in the world coffee market, he has facilitated farmers in Tanzania to access leading buyers at competitive prices.
Meru coffee farmers have earned more than Sh736 million since the establishment of the Meru County Coffee Millers Cooperative last year.
CiaMeru News 