|
|
| |
|
 |
| Archive News from Ndumberi Co-operative Coffee Improvement Project - April 2007 |
 |
|
 |
| April has been wet. Long rains have been pounding Ndumberi villages making farm chores difficult to undertake and rendering the “dry weather” roads that villagers rely on impassable. School children run to school soaked by the rains. Many a roof in the village is leaking. Fire wood is wet and life is no longer a bed of roses. Despite all these problems that are normally associated with the long rains, Ndumberi farmers treat the rains as a blessing and have quickly composed songs in praise of the heavens that have opened the flood gates. The rains have quickly converted what was parched and dusty shambas into beautiful green fields full of life. Most of the food crops sown in March have germinated with vigour, a sign of a good harvest to come. To Ndumberi smallholder farmers who rely fully on rain fed agriculture, good rains in April are a precursor for a year free of hunger. |
| The coffee trees, previously stressed to maximum by a dry spell during February and March, have responded to the rains by producing a good flowering for the main crop. This good flowering, coupled with a round of nitrogen later in the month, is expected to produce a higher cherry yield than 1.2 million kg anticipated in earlier crop estimates. |
| Elsewhere, in the Western Kenya plains of Bundalangi, the long rains have created destruction on villages caused by an overflowing River Nzoia. The government has pledged to look for a long lasting solution to this problem that has become an annual ordeal for people of Bundalangi. |
|
 |
| Ndumberi coffee continued to attract high demand. A sizeable amount of the good quality coffee has been bought by FOUR SQUARE for use in its coffee product popularly known as Kenyan Dawn. |
| Following the sales made so far, the Co-op has released the second payment to the farmers. The Co-op will announce the final payment soon after all the coffee has been sold. |
| In related coffee news, the Co-op chairman has been invited to attend a Fairtrade seminar in Belgium. The seminar is sponsored by Oxfam. |
 |
|
 |
 |
| Ndumberi Co-op has close to 800 bags of Mbuni Cherry that will go for dry milling on 7th May 2007. Mbuni refers to cherries that are picked and dried whole, instead of going through conventional pulping, fermenting and drying process to yield parchment coffee. |
| Mbuni cherry is normally milled and graded into two grades – Mbuni heavy (MH) and Mbuni light (ML)- as compared to parchment coffee that is normally graded into seven grades namely AA, AB, PB, E, C, TT and T. |
|
 |
|
|
 |
 |
| Ndumberi has become a showcase Co-op in Kenya. When the coffee board of Kenya, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Coffee Research Foundation went looking for a suitable venue to hold a district Field Day to train farmers on new technologies and to expound on new coffee policies, they found a perfect choice in Ndumberi Co-op. |
| A successful District Field Day was held on 5th April 2007. The Field Day was attended by Dr Michori, chairman Coffee Board of Kenya, and the director of agriculture among many other dignitaries. Many companies working in coffee sector exhibited their wares and Coffee Research Foundation took the opportunity to educate farmers on best coffee practices. Dr Michori advised farmers to embrace sustainable way of producing coffee and to focus on production of quality coffee. All the invited guests who rose to speak commended Ndumberi for attaining Utz |
 |
 |
| During the AGM, the achievements already made through the FOUR SQUARE Coffee Improvement Project were outlined. Farmers were all smiles after it was revealed that FOUR SQUARE and Ecom Foundation have set aside funds for a basic health facility at the Riabai Mill site. |
|
|
 |
| David Kariti is a field officer charged with ensuring that Ndumberi farmers understand and implement best coffee practices. David, a married father of four children now grown ups, was born in Ting’ang’a village in Ndumeri in 1952. His parents were coffee farmers who managed to educate all their children through coffee proceeds paid from coffee cherries picked from 1500 stems they owned. Out of this, David has inherited 450 stems. Last year he produced and delivered 1800 kg cherry to Ngaita Wet Mill. |
| David is a retired trained coffee manager. He has over 21 years experience managing large estates from Tropical Farms and other large estates. The Ndumberi job is his first assignment with small holders. All the same, David is performing well if the sharp increase in production is anything to go by. David normally organises farmers’ group trainings and conducts farm visits on a regular basis. He cites poor pruning and poor soil maintenance as the main challenges facing the Ndumberi farmer. |
|
Mr Stephen Njonge, a promoter farmer in Ndumberi, is full of praise for David. ‘Farmers have really benefited from David’s farm visits and group trainings. I hope he has the opportunity of work with us for another 2 years for us to fully implement his best practices scheme and for him to witness the results first hand’ states Stephen. |
Unfortunately, David’s contract will end in April. Unless the World Bank project is extended for another year, the Co-op may have to do without David’s services. The World Bank/CSN funded Utz project have been funding David’s salary and fuel for his Motor Bike. |
 |
 |
| We provide regular newsletters on our projects in Kenya. Read recent and archive news from the Ndumberi Co-operative Coffee Improvement Project. |
| » Read the current news from Ndumberi |
| » More archive newsletters from Ndumberi |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
