Editor's Review

The Colombian delegation is in the country for five days. 

Kenya is hosting a high-profile delegation from Colombia for advanced talks on cooperation in Coffee farming and trade. 

The Colombian delegation is in the country for five days and in addition to the talks, will visit factories and farms to familiarise with the Kenyan coffee industry.

Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development, Simon Chelugui, and Colombian Ambassador to Kenya Mr Pedro Leon Rui, welcomed the discussions saying they would boost the ties already nurtured by the two nations.

Addressing the delegation on Monday at Emara Ole Sereni Hotel Nairobi, Mr Chelugui said the government is focused on empowering smallholder coffee farmers since the crop plays a key role in enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Kenya.

“The Government envisions a productive coffee subsector hence committed to increase coffee production from the current annual production from 51,000 metric tonnes to 200,000 metric tons by the year 2027,” remarked Mr Chelugui.

Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development, Simon Chelugui

Ambassador Leon Rui explained that the members of Colombia National Federation of Coffee Growers, are on a five-day visit and they will have a peer-to-peer session with Kenyan farmers.

"We have been working together and our ties with Africa is a priority. Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and Enterprise Simon Chelugui visited Colombia last year,” he stated. 

The meeting is a follow-up to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's visit to Colombia last September where he pushed for advanced cooperation between the two nations to realise better yields for Kenyan coffee farmers.