The Elgeyo Marakwet County Government has started an initiative to make the County’s escarpment a coffee-growing area.
The County Government held a coffee fair with farmers, cooperative societies, partners, marketers and agronomists to chart a new beginning for the sector that they hope eventually will create wealth for the community.
The resolutions reached revolved around planting more coffee with the point of attention being the ward.
Each farmer will be encouraged to grow coffee on a minimum of half an acre of land in all eight wards in the county. Each ward will be expected to establish a coffee nursery with the support of partners to ensure ready seedlings for the next season.
All partners dealing with environmental restoration in the escarpment will be advised to provide coffee seedlings while coffee field days will be conducted in the 8 coffee growing wards to sensitize farmers.
Registration of all new and existing farmers will commence immediately to help the county administration to establish the number of seedlings required. Elgeyo Marakwet Coffee Union will be registered immediately as a body of farmers to help protect farmers and jointly market the county’s coffee
An implementation committee comprising all stakeholders will be formed to ensure the full realization of the plan. Governor Wisley Rotich announced that the County Government shall soon be distributing seedlings to the farmers.
He urged all residents especially the youth to join the county government in the initiative of transforming coffee farming in the county.
