Nyeri’s Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT) has been tasked with overseeing the milling and grading of the county’s coffee.
It will determine the level of milling losses and grading of coffee from Nyeri and then certify it.
Governor Nderitu Gachagua has said the county is partnering with the university in order to ensure that they safeguard the interests of coffee farmers in the county.
“As a county government we are not interested in marketing the county’s coffee, but to ensure that our farmers gets what they deserve from what they produce,” said Mr Gachagua.
Milling losses refer to coffee lost during the milling process.
In Kenya, coffee is also graded before marketing.
For each of the coffee lot produced, the coffee beans are thoroughly tested for quality and then sorted into various grades depending on size, weight and shape.
Commercial millers and marketers have in the recent past been on the receiving end with accusations that they are dishonest when calculating milling losses and grading.
They have also been accused of extending expensive loans and advance payments to farmers.
DeKUT’s Institute of Food and Bioresources Technology has a modern coffee quality control laboratory and provides consultancy services on coffee quality management as well as assisting the community, especially coffee farmers, to analyse the quality for their coffee.
Two years ago, the county government introduced a joint milling and marketing initiative for about 100 coffee factories with the aim of scouting for a buyer who would offer them the best prices.
In 2015, the highest-paid factory in Nyeri received Sh85 per kilo of cherry compared with Sh80 per kilo in 2014.