Agriculture cabinet secretary Felix Koskei said that direct coffee sales will be introduced as a measure to liberalise the marketing system of the product. Other measures including the restructuring of key coffee institutions including the Coffee Research Foundation and Coffee Board of Kenya to improve efficiency in the coffee sector.

 

"The Coffee Credit Support Fund has to date disbursed over Sh1 billion to coffee growers nationally, " he said in a speech read on his behalf during the pre-launch ceremony for the branding of Kenya's coffee.He said the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority has spent Sh10 million over the last five years to develop 'Coffee Kenya Mark of Origin' initiative

Coffee dealers, who wish to sell their product under the label, will pay Sh10,000 to go through the vetting process.

Ethiopia is the only other country in the region that is selling branded coffee.

 

Some of the dealers who have been approved include the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Dormans Coffee, Gibson Coffee and Kenya Nut Company among others.AFFA's interim director-general Alfred Busolo said that the directorate will open a one-stop-shop to improve service delivery in the agriculture sector in order to save farmers the time and cost of seeking services in different offices.

 

Source : http://allafrica.com/stories/201501150560.html