Nearly 684,000 coffee farmers across the country have benefited from more than Sh15 billion disbursed through the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund (CCARF).
The milestone was announced by Cooperatives and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, who said the fund was helping ease financial pressure on coffee farmers.
New KPCU said Sh15 billion has so far been disbursed to 683,980 farmers across the country.
The CCARF allows farmers to access money against their coffee deliveries as they wait for proceeds from the sale of their produce.
The programme is aimed at helping farmers meet their immediate household and farm expenses without turning to expensive loans.
Oparanya has said the government wants to ensure coffee farming puts more money into the pockets of farmers.
“The most important thing is to make sure the Kenyan farmer gets money in their pocket. Coffee farming is only meaningful if the farmer earns from it,” Oparanya said.
The latest disbursement comes as the government steps up efforts to revive Kenya’s coffee sector and improve earnings for farmers.
The government has set a target of increasing annual coffee production from about 50,000 metric tonnes to 155,000 tonnes by 2028.
It is also working to clear Sh6.8 billion in verified debts owed by coffee cooperative societies, a move expected to ease the financial burden facing the sector.
Another reform is the Direct Settlement System, which is intended to ensure farmers receive payments from coffee sales directly and without unnecessary delays.
The government is also encouraging coffee cooperatives to use New KPCU milling facilities in an effort to lower milling costs and improve returns to farmers.
The Sh15 billion milestone is a significant boost to the government’s coffee revival programme, particularly in the country’s traditional coffee-growing regions.
However, for farmers, the bigger test will be whether the reforms lead to better and more reliable earnings from their coffee, rather than simply providing access to advances.