Archive | 2019
The impact of public private partnership in the role of coffee farmers’ cooperative societies in Kenya
Abstract
Coffee production in Kenya plays a key role as source of foreign exchange earnings. It is produced by both small and large-scale farmers in 32 coffee growing Counties. The national production is constrained by shortage of seedlings of improved coffee varieties (Ruiru 11 and Batian) among other factors. Coffee Research Institute partnered with Cooperative Societies through Public Private Partnership (PPP) to produce and supply seedlings of the improved varieties to the farmers. Eight (8) coffee Farmers Cooperative Societies (FCSs) under PPP in eight (8) coffee growing Counties were surveyed to establish the impact the partnerships had in their role. The societies surveyed (100%) indicated that their staff were capacity built during the partnership. The coffee nurseries in the Cooperatives were expanded where the annual mean coffee seedlings produced per society increased by 367% from 15,000 to 70,000. The revenue generated per society increased by 400% from average of Kshs 200,000 to 1,000,000 from sales of seedlings. The average membership per society increased by 15% from 2444 to 2807 members. On average, the coffee cherry delivered per society increased by 25% from 228 to 286 metric tons. Job creation was also realized where on average, nine (9) employees per society were engaged to provide services in the coffee nurseries. Evidently, this Public Private Partnership model under coffee enterprise, positively impacted on the role of the Cooperatives. A model that can be applied on other enterprises to improve the livelihood of the community.