The licensing of farmer cooperatives as millers and brokers is a step forward. Ibero is still top buyer despite Tropical shutting down.
The shilling fluctuation confusing brought an opportunity for theft through delays in direct payment system. Shadowy loans which govt keeps saying it has written off without following up on theft. Taxes have become insurance for outright theft in sugar and coffee industries.
With farmers continue paying attention to CME cooperative leaders will be more accountable else the hawking choice given the good prices the aggregators are offering. Kenya is a hawking nation and with no transport costs or 3 months anxiety, it is a good option.
The Nairobi coffee exchange is working smoothly thus the informed and agitated farmers. This is a cooperative leadership ukora issue. The farmers can do their calculations and the Gen Zii spirit has hit Karatina.
How are those coffee reforms coming along? https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2024-08-22-mathira-coffee-farmers-protest-over-alleged-poor-payment/
Freaking disaster .
The CME was working smoothly even before the reforms. The sole purpose of the reforms was to get rid of cartels that were supposedly colluding to swindle farmers. After the reforms, farmers earnings hasnt increased on the contrarily, at best prices have stagnated or lower in $. The CME hasnt changed, its only there are new brokers. The lower end of the supply chain i.e(milling) is what has been affected with several millers shutting down. Central millers and tropical have shut down their mills. The unintended consequences will be that coffee hawking is going to explode. The egregious direct settlement system was suppose to ensure prompt farmers payment, this year farmers were paid in august instead of the kawaida June.