Coffee farmers in Meru have called on the government to fast-track adherence to European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requirements which must be adhered to from December 30 this year for produce destined to Europe.

The EUDR requires that various produce including Coffee sold to the European Union from next year, should not to have come from land that was deforested after December 31, 2020.

To access the EU market, the produce must also comply with the laws of the country of origin.

Farmers can comply by getting certifications from authorised multinationals but the costs are a hindrance.

Under the regulation, exporters will be required to digitally map smallholder farms that supply them with coffee to enable traceability.

The exporters must be able to prove that the produce is compliant through proper documentation before their goods are cleared.

Meru Central Coffee Cooperative Union (MCCCU) chairman Ephantus Majau said Kenya was still lagging behind in compliance despite EU being a major Coffee market.

A farmer inspecting his coffee bushes. Coffee farmers are required to comply with EUDR by December 30, 2024.

The union which comprises 34 societies expressed concern that many farmers were yet to understand the far reaching regulation.

According to MCCCU chief executive officer Daniel Marete, the local coffee market had already started responding to the anticipated impact of the EUDR.

“Currently, multinationals who buy most of our coffee at the exchange are cautious because of the stocks they are holding. They are not buying alot of coffee out of fear that they may not be able to sell after December 30. This has affected prices at the auction,” Mr Marete said.

He said Uganda and Ethiopia were far much ahead of Kenya in complying to the EUDR.

Mr Marete said the union marketing arm has about 1.2 million tonnes of clean coffee in the market amid the jitters.

The government has since established a technial working group for geomapping coffee farmlands.

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