| dc.description.abstract | Coffee has continued to playa key role in Kenya's economy due to its substantive contribution to foreign exchange earnings, family incomes, employment creation, food security and a major plank for delivering the 10% annual growth rate under the economic pillar of Vision 2030. Research by Mwarnzali, 2011 shows that declining productivity of coffee is partly due to low use of inputs, marketing problems, poor governance of cooperatives and international marketing conditions. There are current coffee reforms in the Coffee Act no.9 of 2001 whose features include market liberalization, coffee development fund, restructuring of cooperative ministry to provide an enabling environment for the positive growth of the coffee sub-sector.
Despite the implementation of these reforms coffee productivity remains low leading to low incomes and poverty for coffee farmers in Mukurweini District. Therefore the study investigated challenges affecting revitalization of coffee which included, Access to coffee market, Funding of coffee, Management of coffee cooperatives societies and Gender issues influencing coffee revitalization programme in Mukurweini district.
The study adopted a descriptive survey design and Stratified random sampling was used to get a representative sample of 95 farmers from a target population of 946 coffee farmers with more than one acre. The data was collected using observation and questionnaires. A 100% response was achieved as all questionnaires were returned for data analysis. The responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and data presented in tables of frequencies and percentages. This study found out that Coffee farming is a male dominated activity with most coffee farmers aged over 51 years.
Men dominate in decision making on the scaling activities, ownerships of the coffee crop, access to credit for coffee development, labour provision and control coffee income. It was also found out that women had significant influence on coffee production and that women representation in management committees is low and not in key decision making positions. The major source of capital is found to be loan thus credit accessibility is important to coffee farmers for coffee improvement. Marketing of coffee has a strong influence on coffee revitalization and thus favorable marketing conditions are needed to enhance access to market.
This study found out that the management leadership style was good, committed towards management of coffee society as a business and also influences coffee revitalization. Women and young people should be brought on board in the running of coffee sector to realize full potential of each gender group. The findings of the study have provided various players with knowledge on factors thjlt are currently affecting productivity to improve on their performance in the coffee value chain. The marketers, financial institution and service providers will use the report to enhance linkages with farmers. The farmers can use the report to lobby for support from the players.
The study has provided empirical findings on factors which influence coffee research and form basis for further research in the suggested areas: a comparative study on male managed coffee societies against female managed coffee society's causes of low youth participation, Value addition of coffee in Kenya for local market and Effects of Land subdivision on coffee production. | en_US |
