Group members in their farm.
By Morris Githenya
A youth group in Nyeri County is reaping big returns from coffee value addition and organic farming after venturing into roasting, packaging, and marketing coffee products and herbal powders.
Nyeri Hill Organic Herbs and Eco Fuel Enterprises says the initiative began a year ago after members received training from agricultural experts and partners involved in environmental conservation projects.
The group was initially engaged by Rodi Kenya in 2024 to help restore the degraded Nyeri Hill Forest through tree planting, an exercise that was later praised by Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga and the Kenya Forest Service.
Group chairperson Pauline Wanjiru said members later discovered several herbal plants within the forest area and began processing them alongside coffee products for commercial purposes.
“We produce powdered guava, soursop, and stinging nettle products, which we sell in towns such as Nyeri, Ruiru, and Nanyuki,” she said.
Vice-chairperson Samson Ngure noted that the group secured access to a coffee farm from a neighbour, enabling them to venture into coffee processing and branding.
Rodi Kenya project coordinator Peter Chege said the youth were trained in coffee processing, packaging, and marketing after expressing interest in value addition.
Meanwhile, coffee farmers linked to Kihuyu Coffee Factory in Kieni West have reported increased yields and earnings through organic farming practices.
Factory manager Joseph Ndung’u said production rose from 42,954 kilograms in the 2023/2024 season to 130,251 kilograms in the current season, with payments increasing from Sh83 to Sh133 per kilogram of cherry.
In Mukurwe-ini, farmers attached to Giathugu Coffee Factory have diversified into beekeeping, with over 350 beehives distributed to members.
Group chairman Joseph Gathirimu said honey production has become a key source of income, with a kilogram of natural honey retailing at between Sh800 and Sh1,000.
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