By Rodgers Omondi, Busia
Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has urged farmers in Western Kenya to embrace coffee farming, saying it offers better financial returns compared to traditional crops such as sugarcane and maize.
Speaking at Bukhalalire High School in Butula Sub county during a sensitization forum on coffee farming, market access, and government support programs, Oparanya encouraged farmers to shift to coffee cultivation to improve their livelihoods.
“For a long time, the Western region has relied on sugarcane and maize, but the returns have gone down. Our climate is favorable for coffee farming, which has much higher returns. One acre of coffee can yield more than Ksh 1 million within 2 to 3 years, making it a profitable venture,” said Oparanya.
The CS noted that the government has heavily invested in promoting coffee farming through the provision of seedlings and training of extension officers to support farmers.
“We are training two extension officers from every ward in the country to guide and monitor coffee farmers. We have also distributed seedlings to many farmers to encourage coffee production,” he added.
Oparanya further revealed that plans are underway to register a cooperative SACCO in the Western region to empower farmers economically.
“We want to establish a strong cooperative in Western Kenya with over 300,000 members by December, and eventually expand it nationwide to one million members. Through this cooperative, farmers will be able to address challenges such as school fees and SHA payments,” he said.
During the sensitization, the Cs distributed coffee seedlings to the farmers and assure the government commitment to ensure the farming has been supported.
Butula MP Joseph Oyula urged residents to take advantage of coffee farming, noting that the sub-county was once a coffee-growing zone.
“Butula was a coffee planting zone, and we need to revive it. Coffee farming can help eradicate poverty in our communities. My vision is for Butula to become one of the leading sub-counties in coffee production within the next three years,” said Oyula.
He welcomed the planned registration of the cooperative SACCO, saying it would improve coffee marketing and provide farmers with access to loans for investment.
“Strong cooperative societies will be essential in marketing our coffee and transforming our lives. We also have a bamboo industry producing products such as bamboo charcoal, and I encourage our people to plant bamboo as well,” he added.
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera echoed the leaders’ sentiments, calling on residents to join the cooperative and invest in coffee farming.
“Many of the people doing well financially in this country are coffee farmers. That is the secret to a better life. We want everyone to join the cooperative so that we can fight poverty and improve our standards of living in Western Kenya,” he said
