Coffee and tea farmers from Murang’a County, Central Kenya, will soon be linked to the Chinese market through a Kenya-China trade cooperation deal.
This comes following a visit by a delegation from China that visited the county with the commitment to enter into a deal with the farmers that will see coffee and black tea traded in the Chinese market.
The delegation led by the President of Kenya-China Cooperation Committee Madam Betty Xu assured farmers from the area that there is an enormous market in the East Asian nation, urging them to increase production, especially for export purposes.
Xu said China has the potential to buy coffee worth 100 million US dollars annually from Kenyan farmers.
She noted that although the Chinese people are used to drinking green tea, the young generation in the country has an increased appetite for coffee and black tea. She said farmers should be on the frontline to exploit this growing market and the opportunities therein.
“In the agreement, we want to partner with Murang’a and Kenyan farmers at large and link them with the Chinese buyers,” said Xu
“Farmers will be connected directly to buyers and the cooperation committee will be mandated to market Kenyan coffee and tea in various provinces of China,” she explained
The Committee president noted that Kenya can produce quality products and be able to increase exports to China, thus addressing the challenge of trade deficit.
“We have sampled Kenyan tea and coffee and I can assure you the products have a big demand from China,” she said,
While here, Xu introduced locals to a program dubbed “Light Up Kenya Villages” which she described as a public benefit program that seeks to empower people through increased access to industrial equipment and new energy technology through the use of solar power.
Former Kenyan ambassador to China Ms Muthoni Gichohi, who also serves as a Member of the Murang’a budget and economic forum noted that with the new market opening, agriculture will create many employment opportunities in the county.
She assured that once the farmers commence exporting their coffee and tea to China, earnings will be increased thus improving the livelihoods of the farmers who for long have been exploited in the past.
“This is the time for our farmers to take advantage of this agreement between the Chinese delegation and the county government now that our coffee, tea, and avocados will get access to the ready market in China,” she stated.
She added that through the initiative, cooperatives will ensure that Kenyan produce meets the quality standards required for the international markets to upscale earnings and revenue for farmers.
Murang’a Governor, Irungu Kang’ata noted there was a need for the local farmers to exploit opportunities in the China market. He undertook to ensure his administration created market linkages through the expansion market, by allocating 500.3 acres for the construction of the Export Processing Zone in the Makenji area.
“In this concept, the county government will not spend its resources but will directly link the farmers with the market,” said the Governor who was backed by his Deputy Stephen Munania.
He assured the investors of a friendly business environment saying that the county has ensured robust regulation of business through automation of services. He further committed that the county would help the investors through aggregation of products which will be done through co-operatives and societies.
