Nairobi: Coffee farmers in Trans Nzoia have hailed the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund (CCARF) for easing the financial burden of coffee production and enabling them to meet farm expenses and maintain their farms.
According to Kenya News Agency, the farmers said the fund had provided timely financial support for activities including harvesting, labour and purchase of farm inputs, allowing them to continue investing in coffee while awaiting proceeds from the sale of their produce. The government introduced the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund to provide affordable financing to smallholder coffee farmers and cushion them from cash flow challenges experienced during the production and marketing cycle.
In Trans Nzoia, Sh1.15 billion had been disbursed to 2,331 farmers, with beneficiaries saying the financial support has helped them meet production costs and sustain their coffee farms. Victor Murei, a coffee farmer and proprietor of Blazing Barry’s Coffee, said the fund had helped him meet expenses associated with harvesting, processing and labour, all with ease.
Murei noted that the high cost of production remained one of the major challenges facing coffee farmers, making access to affordable financing important in sustaining the crop. He mentioned that the fund had also enabled him to invest in equipment, including a coffee grinder, which has supported his coffee processing activities.
For Peter Kimani, Chairman of Kapsara Coffee Growers Cooperative Society, coffee has been an important source of livelihood for his family and enabled him to educate his children. Kimani said the introduction of the Coffee Cherry Fund had provided farmers with financial support to purchase farm inputs and meet other expenses associated with coffee production.
Kimani, however, noted that farmers continued to face challenges including inadequate access to appropriate fertilizers, limited agricultural extension services and difficulties in marketing their produce. He called for increased availability of coffee-specific farm inputs and more extension services targeting coffee farmers to equip them with specialised knowledge on coffee production.
The farmers said continued access to affordable financing, coupled with adequate farm inputs, technical support and reliable markets, would be critical in sustaining coffee production and improving household incomes. For the beneficiaries, the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund has provided more than financial assistance, enabling them to meet essential production costs and continue investing in coffee as a source of livelihood.
