Keep word on coffee price hike, govt urged

A COFFEE venturer in Northern says farmers in Afore are still waiting for the Government to honour its commitment to increase the price of coffee beans.
Managalas Coffee Plantation Developments chairman Jerold Boaz Isamo said the previous government had made a commitment to assist them with K1 million from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock’s price support programme to finance the buying of coffee in the province.
“Former minister for agriculture John Simon, made the commitment when he visited the district on June 5 last year,” Isamo said.
“The agreement was for the Government to provide financial assistance that would allow us to buy coffee beans from local farmers at K6 per kilogramme.”
Isamo thanked the Government for the new coffee policy which aimed to raise the price of beans to between K7 and K13 per kilogramme next year.
He said while this was a positive initiative, he reminded the Government to honour its past commitment before making and delivering the new one.
He stated that local coffee growers had no backing from the province.