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| Archive News from Ndumberi Co-operative Coffee Improvement Project - August 2006 |
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As picking of the early crop came to an end, the farmers of Ndumberi Co-op started to focus on other coffee activities such
as pruning, weeding and fertilising as well as sowing other crops such as maize, beans and potatoes. As expected, all the
wet mills received very little cherry in the month of August. The wet mills' managers focused their efforts on the parchment that was either drying or undergoing sorting before bagging. The main crop is expected to be ready for harvest by late October. |
| The Co-op management took full advantage of the low activity to fully prepare for the official launch and celebration of their Utz Kapeh certification. Meanwhile, their success story is starting to spread far and wide. Many visitors and groups of farmers from all over Kenya, eager to learn from the success of the Ndumberi projects, are visiting the co-op. 'You just need to look at our visitors' book to appreciate the numbers of guests who have visited us after hearing about the success of our projects. The new permanent drying tables sponsored by FOUR SQUARE are the centre of interest' confirms Raymond Gitau, the Ndumberi Co-op chairman. |
| At the national level, farmers are anxious to see how the government will implement the new rules governing the direct exports of coffee commonly referred to as 'second window'. The new rules allow coffee farmers to export their coffee directly without going through the Nairobi coffee exchange (auction). The number of licensed coffee marketeers is expected to increase as a big number of coffee dealers, coffee millers and producers seek marketing licenses to compete with the existing three licensed marketers namely Kenya Planters' Co-operative Union, Thika Coffee Mills and Socfinaf. |
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| After completion of works on the renovation of the fermentation and soaking tanks, the FOUR SQUARE sponsored project has embarked on the next step which will see the construction of new and permanent metallic drying tables. |
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| The tables will not only last a life time but will also save the farmers the cost of annual repairs as well as save the many trees that would have otherwise been cut for repair work. |
| The permanent drying tables, being constructed in all the three wet mills, are proving to be a centre of interest for both Ndumberi Co-op Farmers and farmers from all over Kenya. 'I have never seen such good drying tables in any co-operative in Kenya' confirms Mr Kinyanjui, the current chairman of Nyakiri Co-op, a Co-op that neighbours Ndumberi. |
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| The committee formed between Sangana Commodities (K) Ltd and Ndumberi Co-operative to design a health clinic for the Co-op members has been very active in recent weeks. The co-op has approached the local Catholic Church for assistance to design and manage an innovative and sustai able health programme. The church is already playing a leading role in local development efforts and is expected to bring with it a wealth of experience and expertise in designing and running similar projects in Kenya. The Arch Diocese of Nairobi, in which the local church is affiliated, has carried out due diligence on the project and has confirmed its willingness to participate. A committee has been set up to compile a project proposal to be forwarded to FOUR SQUARE in two months time. In essence the Church is willing to allocate staff for the running of the project once funds have been secured to erect the clinic. The Co-op members are very keen for the Church to play a long term role in sustaining the clinic for its members. |
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| Ngaita, the youngest Wet Mill in Ndumberi, was constructed in 1978 and has a capacity to process 450 tons of Cherry annually. Being the newest, Ngaita has always had better facilities compared to other Wet Mills. Coincidentally Ngaita is manned by one of the youngest Wet Mill Managers, Mr Peter Kahanya who was born in 1974. |
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| Peter was first employed as a casual labourer in Riabai Wet Mill, immediately after completing his secondary education. Hard work saw him climb to the post of assistant manager in 1999 before being promoted to full Manager in 2001. In his career, Peter has attended many courses to improve his coffee processing skills. Peter recently attended a coffee factory managemen course at the Coffee Research Foundation, Ruiru. Peter is well aware of the challenges that go with managing a Wet Mill in a quality focused Co-op. Having been born and brought up in a coffee family near Riabai Wet Mill, the young father of one understands the importance of coffee farming to the Ndumberi Community. Peter's family owns some 1000 coffee trees and delivers coffee to Riabai. Last year the family delivered 1000kg of cherry to Riabai. This year, Peter estimates that his family will deliver over 1600 kg thanks to his revived interest in coffee farming. |
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But Peter would like to see more young people taking coffee farming seriously instead of loitering in towns looking for non existent jobs. With partners like FOUR SQUARE, Peter believes there is light at the end of the tunnel. 'Partners like FOUR SQUARE who are committed to improving coffee quality and living standards of coffee farmers will go a long way in attracting the youth back into coffee farming. We need more young people to take over from the ageing parents' asserts Peter. |
| Peter's life rotates around coffee and he is happy about that. Just like all his nine brothers and sisters, their smallholder parents educated them through coffee earnings. Peter is now able to support his own family from the wages he gets from Ndumberi Co-op. He is also a member of Ndumberi Co-op Staffs' Savings and Credit Co-op and he occasionally secures loans for his small development projects. |
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| Ngaita is blessed with many hard working farmers. Peter quickly identifies Mr Stephen Mwaura Thuku as one of the good farmers delivering cherry to Ngaita Wet Mill. Stephen a retired factory worker, has 1000 stems of coffee which he manages with his wife. With an average production of 5 kg cherry per tree, Stephen is considered as an outstanding farmer by small holder standards and produces 2 to 3 times more than an average Co-op farmer in Kenya. Stephen generates a lot of farm yard manure from his four cows which he uses to fertilise his coffee. |
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| As a Promoter Farmer in the Utz Kapeh project and chairman of the supervisory committee for Ndumberi Co-op, Stephen is an opinion leader and is well placed to advise farmers on ways of increasing their coffee production and run their farms as business units. 'We are very thankful to FOUR SQUARE and others partners who have supported us so far Let them be assured that we will produce the best coffee for them to buy. We look forward to a long lasting and fruitful partnership' adds Mrs Mwaura. |
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| 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 |
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