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[QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 34588, member: 636"]
Kenya plans to spend Sh500 million on coffee seedlings to help farmers grow more coffee. The government wants to give out 20 million seedlings every year to all areas where coffee grows. Patrick Kilemi from the State Department for Cooperatives met with farmers about this program. He said the Coffee Research Institute will provide high-yield varieties. Kenya currently produces much less coffee than Uganda or Ethiopia.

Old coffee plants cause low production because they only produce well for about 20 years. The government has made changes that have improved coffee prices for farmers. They separated the roles of millers, buyers, and brokers to remove middlemen at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange. Farmers can also access cheaper fertilizer through the New KPCU, which works with the National Cereals Board. These fertilizers go directly to coffee factories, where farmers can easily buy them.

Coffee ranks second after oil in worldwide trade value at about 600 billion US dollars. Kenya earned Sh33 billion from coffee last year. The government aims to increase this to Sh1 trillion soon. They also plan to replace old equipment in factories with modern machines. The budget includes Sh6.8 billion to clear coffee debts, which will help increase farmer income.
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