Today, the Principal Secretary for Agriculture, Dr. Kipronoh Ronoh Paul, CBS, officially presided over the opening of the 4th National KALRO Open Research Week and the 20th Annual Ruiru Coffee Fair at the Coffee Research Institute in Kiambu County.
He noted that the Government is scaling up coffee production from 50,000 to 150,000 metric tonnes within three years, anchored on reforms and strategic investments. He explained that Ksh. 500 million has been committed to propagate 10 million high-yielding, disease-resistant seedlings annually, alongside expanding research centres, strengthening cooperatives, and implementing market reforms to secure fairer farmer returns.
The Principal Secretary engaged with 350 Ward Coffee Champions trainees advancing climate-smart and precision farming, and confirmed that plans for Coffee Training Centers nationwide had been validated to boost extension services, technology adoption, and youth-led support.
He further flagged off the distribution of coffee seedlings to farmers, resolved that coffee-specific fertilizers would be distributed through coffee cooperatives, and announced the establishment of a team to review coffee prices so that farmers can secure better earnings.
Dr. Ronoh emphasized that this transformation—driven by research, mechanization, training, and value addition—will raise yields, improve farmer incomes, and restore Kenya’s global competitiveness in premium coffee. Flanked by DG KALRO Dr. Patrick Ketiem and other stakeholders, he reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to revitalizing the coffee sector and ensuring prosperity for farmers.
