Coffee farmers in Meru County have sounded the alarm over rampant theft and hawking threatening the future of the crop.
The farmers are calling on the national government to implement urgent reforms and enforce stricter regulation, citing rampant theft of coffee beans and neglect from key institutions.
Gitonga Elias, a farmer from Thuura who sells his produce through the Nyaki Farmers Cooperative Union, expressed concern over a sharp increase in coffee theft.
“Some farmers are mysteriously doubling or tripling their production overnight. Cooperatives should question such unusual increases and verify their sources. This could help curb the theft, which is hurting honest farmers,” Gitonga said.
The farmers are urging cooperative unions to introduce internal monitoring systems that flag irregular production surges, in an effort to hold members accountable and prevent the sale of stolen coffee.
In addition to theft, the farmers are also decrying the decline of support from the Coffee Research Institute.
Once a vital source of high-quality seedlings and expert guidance, the institute is said to have scaled back its operations—leaving farmers to rely on unreliable brokers.
“We used to rely on the Coffee Research Institute for advice and improved seedlings. Now, brokers are giving us substandard varieties that are destroying our farms,” said Susan Karimi, a distressed local farmer.
Her sentiments were echoed by Mugambi Zakayo, who emphasized the need to restore access to high-quality, coffee varieties.
“The government must act now—both at the national and county levels. We need our best-performing varieties back, and we need security for our harvests,” Mugambi said.
