Kirinyaga Coffee Farmers Cry Foul Over Escalating Theft of Ripe Cherries
The farmers believe there are groups working together, possibly with the help of rogue traders or unscrupulous coffee millers, who are behind the robberies.
They believe that such a culture still encourages criminality to the detriment of the effort of genuine farmers who rely on coffee as the only means of survival. Photo/courtesy.
By Ruth Sang
Farmers in Kirinyaga County are reporting growing anger and fear after there was a surge in the stealing of mature coffee cherries from their farms. The farmers say that strangers have been visiting their plantations, mostly late at night, and picking the cherries and selling them to unknown consumers who claim to be working in a cartel.
The thefts have become rampant in the Kirinyaga Central and Gichugu constituencies, which are among the largest producers of coffee in the county. The thieves are said to be raiding when farmers are out or asleep, rendering it difficult for them to protect their crops. The small-scale farmers have been left heartbroken by the occurrence as they continue to make losses just as the harvest season is beginning.
In Ndimi Location’s Kiamuruga Village, some of the farmers awakened to traumatizing moments last week upon waking up to discover major parts of their coffee plantations harvested by strangers. Some of them are Joyce Kiragu, an experienced coffee farmer, who regretted the significant loss she faced. “When I led my grandson to the farm to start harvesting, we were greeted with bare branches.”. All of the cherries had been picked out overnight. I couldn’t believe it,” she reported, saying that over 500 coffee stems were stripped bare.
The farmers believe there are groups working together, possibly with the help of rogue traders or unscrupulous coffee millers, who are behind the robberies. They claim stolen cherries end up in the hands of private millers who pay in cash without asking where the produce has come from. They believe that such a culture still encourages criminality to the detriment of the effort of genuine farmers who rely on coffee as the only means of survival.
The affected farmers are now demanding increased patrols by local security authorities, especially during nighttime when the most reported major theft occurs. They have also demanded action by the Kirinyaga County Government and competent national authorities in cracking down on the illicit coffee buyers and tightening control over cherry trade.
Neighborhood watch groups have also been encouraged by community leaders to help farmers keep an eye out for suspicious behavior around coffee plantations. Improved coordination between farmers, cooperatives, and police officers has also been urged to prevent the scourge.
During ongoing investigations, the once-thriving coffee farming society in Kirinyaga remains apprehensive in fear of losing their coffee farming businesses if the thefts continue since most of the farmers would be forced to quit coffee farming due to increased insecurity and losses.
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