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| Archive News from Ndumberi Cooperative Coffee Improvement Project - September 2006 |
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| September was generally a dry month. Farmers in Ndumberi were busy tilling their land and selecting seeds for sowing in the new season that will start with the beginning of the October rains. Coincidentally, the Kenya coffee year runs from October to September. On 13th of September, Ndumberi Coop held an official launch day, celebrating the award of their Utz Certification and thereby closing their coffee year in style. |
| The government also gazetted 67 new applicants who are eligible to receive coffee marketing licences, as more players jostle for a share of new marketing opportunities outside the auction. The government intends to open a second window of opportunity that will allow farmers to market their coffee directly to buyers, bypassing the auction. This second window is seen as an opportunity for traders and roasters to start solid long term business partnerships with coffee farmers in Kenya. To this end, Ndumberi Coop looks forward to a long term and fruitful partnership with FOUR SQUARE. |
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| The Coop has so far received over 130 tons of cherry. The prevailing weather favours slow berry expansion and ripening and therefore most of the cherries will be harvested in November - December period. Despite the prevailing weather being unfavourable for parchment drying, the lower than expected cherry volumes received in the wet mills were easy to handle thanks to the new processing materials provided by the Coffee Support Network - World Bank Utz project. Some parchment is already dry and is being sorted before bagging and storage. This year, the Coop anticipates a good harvest of over 1 million Kg cherry. |
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| After a busy month, during which the Coop went through rigorous self assessment and actual verification procedures, one would expect the Coop management and the farmers to take a deserved coffee break. But the industrious Ndumberi farmers are not about to relax, they are now busy attending to other farm tasks especially the bumper maize crop that is ready for harvest. 'The FOUR SQUARE and Utz Kapeh projects have raised our standards of operation, we no longer take things like labelling, records and workers safety for granted' discloses Mr Mugogo, the farmers representative to both projects, 'We are looking forward to positive Utz certification results' he adds with beaming confidence. |
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| Wednesday 13th, September 2006 was a very special day for the Ndumberi Coop management committee and farmers. The Coop held a project celebration day to mark the completion of their World Bank/Coffee Support Network project and the award of their Utz Kapeh certificate. The Utz Kapeh code of conduct ensures that coffee is produced under sustainable environmental, social and economic conditions. It achieves this by imposing strict guidelines on the way coffee is produced and traded. An example of this might be the way waste matter is treated after coffee processing, or the way in which chemicals are used and applied to coffee during crop husbandry. Ultimately the programme ensures that the buyer pays a premium to the producer for his coffee and there are mechanisms in place to ensure this premium goes straight back the producer. |
| A special mention was also given to FOUR SQUARE for funding the rehabilitation of the wet mills and therefore contributing immensely towards coffee quality and Utz certification. The ceremony was attended by the local district commissioner and many dignitaries from the World Bank, Utz Kapeh Foundation, Sangana, Socfinaf, Government officers and neighbouring cooperatives. As a gesture of support, Sangana’s quality team roasted and served Ndumberi coffee allowing thousands of Ndumberi farmers to taste their coffee for the first time. The chairman also took the opportunity to disclose the Coop’s plan to put up a basic health facility with kind sponsorship from FOUR SQUARE. |
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| Raymond Gitau is a man of no mean achievements, at least by Kenyan standards. Born 49 years ago in the densely populated Kihingo village in Ndumberi, the married father of three is a retired Coop career manager. Raymond was first employed as a management trainee by Kiambu Union after completing his secondary school in 1977. After working for a year, Raymond won a full scholarship from the USSR government to attend Moscow Cooperative Institute. He acquired his diploma and returned to Kenya where he was promoted by the Union to the position of Cooperative Education and Publicity Officer. While working for the Union he also qualified for a diploma in adult education from the University of Nairobi. In 1987, Raymond joined Plan International as a Field officer before retiring in 1993 to concentrate on his farming activities. Raymond was elected to the management board of Ndumberi Coop in 1999 and was promoted to chair the board in 2002. He is also the chairman of Kiambu Union of which Ndumberi Coop is a member. |
| Raymond is an early adopter farmer. When the neighbouring Sasini Coffee Plantations secured the Utz certification, Raymond was quick to realise the potential benefits that could accrue from achieving international recognition. He then approached the World Bank and the Coffee Support Network to assist the Coop with funds. ‘The main challenge was to convince our farmers to embrace the concept of responsible coffee production outlined by the Utz code of conduct. FOUR SQUARE came in with the much needed support to renovate our processing facilities and later bought our coffee at good prices. To them we say 'Asante Sana' (thank you very much). Now our farmers are happy and are back into serious coffee farming’, adds Raymond. |
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| We provide regular newsletters on our projects in Kenya. Read recent and archive news from the Ndumberi Cooperative Coffee Improvement Project. |
| » Read the current news from Ndumberi |
| » More archive newsletters from Ndumberi |
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