Kenya launches online coffee auction system

NAIROBI - Kenya's Agriculture Ministry on Tuesday launched an online coffee auction system to contribute to the efforts towards coffee production and earnings.

Mwangi Kiunjuri, the Cabinet Secretary said during the launch that the system will enable farmers follow live proceedings of sale of their coffee through regional screens.

"The system now creates transparency and openness on how coffee is sold at the auction hence increasing the confidence to the coffee owner and demystify the misunderstanding held about coffee auction process," he said during the launch of the system in Nairobi.

Kiunjuri noted that the coffee marketing process will now avail real time reports to all stakeholders from farmers, buyers, marketing agents and government officials.

The CS noted that the government is committed to working with all coffee stakeholders to increase coffee production from the current 45,000 metric tons to more than 128,000 metric tons that they have previously recorded.

He announced plans to provide farmers with subsidized fertilizer and liming to boost production.