Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is embarking on an exciting diplomatic journey, beginning with his upcoming visit to Colombia. This official visit holds a dual focus, first and foremost being the promotion of Kenyan Coffee and his participation in the Group of 77 and China (G77) Summit in Cuba.
Accompanied by a delegation comprising farmers from diverse Kenyan counties, Deputy President Gachagua is set to actively engage in the Coffee Producers and Roasters Forum (PRF) in the picturesque city of Medellin.
This forum presents a unique opportunity to interact with leading coffee producers and sellers in Colombia, a global leader in specialty coffee production. Colombia’s reputation extends to high-value markets like the US, Germany, and Belgium, which Kenya aims to capture through value addition.
Colombia’s coffee prowess is impressive, contributing approximately 12 percent of the world’s coffee output, securing its position as the third-largest coffee producer globally. DP Gachagua, entrusted by President William Ruto with agricultural sector reforms, sees this visit as a golden chance to garner support for Kenya’s bid to host the first Africa Coffee Producers and Roasters Forum in 2024.
Beyond participating in the PRF forum, the Kenyan farmers in the delegation will join forces with Deputy President Gachagua to visit coffee fields in Chinchina and engage in Coffee Research.
These visits offer invaluable insights into modern coffee production practices, vital for Kenya’s ongoing coffee sector reforms that prioritize direct farmer-market connections, eliminating intermediaries.
“The coffee subsector reforms we are undertaking are eliminating middlemen and brokers. We are linking our farmers to the market. The visit to Colombia, therefore, will allow us to engage roasters directly for the farmer to be the biggest beneficiary in our coffee production chain. We will stop at nothing until the farmer thrives in profitability,” Mr. Gachagua emphasized.
DP Gachagua’s visit reciprocates the May visit by Colombian Vice President Francia Elena Marques Mina to Kenya. It presents an ideal opportunity for Kenyan farmers and stakeholders in the coffee industry to gain fresh insights into the latest global coffee trends.
During his stay in Colombia, the Deputy President will hold bilateral discussions with Vice President Mina, followed by consultations with Colombia’s President, Gustavo Petro Urrego.
Moreover, he will lead the Kenyan delegation in meetings with the National Business Association of Colombia in Bogotá and the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation in Cenicafé Chinchina town, Caldas. Exploring Medellin’s innovative cable transportation system and meeting the city’s mayor are also on his agenda.
The Kenyan government’s ambitious plan to increase coffee production from 51,000 metric tonnes annually to 260,000 metric tonnes within five years receives a significant boost from this visit. DP Gachagua elaborated, “We hope to increase the productivity of coffee from two kilograms of cherry per tree per year to 10 kilograms.
We also intend to increase the area under production from 116,000 hectares to 170,000 hectares.” The Kenya Kwanza administration actively supports the modernization and digitization of coffee processing infrastructure.
Following his time in Colombia, the Deputy President will head to Havana, Cuba, where he will represent President William Ruto at the G77 summit from September 15 to 17. This summit marks another crucial step in strengthening Kenya’s international ties and economic growth prospects.
As the visit unfolds, it’s evident that Kenya and Colombia’s bilateral trade and investment agreements signed in Nairobi in May 2023 are already bearing fruit. These agreements cover a wide range of areas, from gender equality and sustainable trade to higher education, tourism, and culture, underscoring the commitment of both nations to foster mutual growth and prosperity.
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