Ghate to boost coffee production

By JEFFREY ELAPA
TOO many middlemen in the coffee production and supply chain has led to farmers not benefiting from their efforts.
A new business model would address this deficiency and bring back economic independence.
Agriculture vice-minister responsible for coffee Pogio Ghate said this when outlining plans to see the industry in the country to be rejuvenated with an aim to increasing volume of production, which dropped over the years.
Ghate is responsible for coffee while the other two vice-ministers, Markham MP Koni Iguan is responsible for livestock and Sohe MP Henry Amuli is responsible for cocoa, copra and oil palm.
Ghate said he intended to bring in a business model by bringing in Kofi Management Services Ltd (KMSL), the business arm of Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) to deal directly with the farmers and the plantation owners and do the buying and exporting coffee while CIC would play the regulatory role.
He said the concept would see KMSL dealing with the farmers, the plantation owners and block owners, leaving aside the middlemen and the exporters who were not involved in owning and growing coffee.
“By doing this we will see real benefits going straight to the small farmers, the owners of coffee,” he said.
“I have engaged a consultant to put a submission on best practices forward which will be guided by policy framework that is aimed at growing the sector and improving our export volume so we get more benefits.” Ghate said the country had been built on coffee as a major export earner from the agricultural sector and that needed to be maintained.
He said the best prices needed to go back to the people so that they continued to grow the sector.
He said the back bone of coffee was the small holding farmers and the block owners strewn around the country especially in the Highlands.
“They (farmers) need to get maximum value for their hardwork and their contribution to helping the economy grow,” he said. “We need to cut out the middle.”
Ghate said the way forward was to use KMSL to be involved in the business by establishing offices in each of the coffee-producing provinces while CIC would only regulate.
“I want to give the best prices to the farmer for their labour because they own the land and they will determine the future of coffee. I want companies that get down to the people and we have to look at the best business model to grow the economy,” he said.