THE Farmers Kilimanjaro Coffee Company Limited (FAKICO) is set to facilitate the sell 62,300 kilogrammes of coffee in the domestic and foreign markets worth over 701.32m/-/- in the 2022/2023 crop season.
The remarks were made by FAKICO Manager Mr Gabriel Ollomi here over the weekend during the first Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company since it changed its operating system from that of cooperative to a company status that,
“During that period, we are expecting to pay coffee farmers who are members and owners of the company a total of 127.68m/- dues as the results of coffee sold domestically and pay them 149.78m/- from the exported coffee”, he said.
Mr Ollomi said in the 2021/22 crop season the company managed to facilitate the sell 48,154 kilogrammes of coffee and in this season the goal is to facilitate the selling of a total of 62,300 kilos of coffee in 2022/2023 crop season.
Regarding the future plans of the company, Mr Ollomi said it included that of mobilizing the cultivation of organic coffee which he said had already shown to have a large market and good prices globally.
“We have already obtained a license to sell organic coffee in the United States, Germany, England, Finland and Japan”, he said, adding, our expectation is that the organic coffee will increase the farmers’ income.
He said the organic coffee market is growing rapidly and is very profitable and that the aim is to promote and strengthen agricultural cooperatives that grow organic coffee and encourage others to focus on organic coffee cultivation.
“Another plan is to join the fair-trade market whose benefits for the farmers include that of the organic coffee buyers been very much concerned with well-being of the farmers, the production of organic coffee as well as the care of the environment in the areas where the organic coffee is cultivated,” he said.
He continued to say that the organic coffee buyers also do have the trend setting the prices of the coffee in advance so that even if the prices fluctuate it doesn’t affect the farmers.
“The good news is that if the prices of organic coffee rises, the buyers will consider the new prices in favour of the farmers; moreover, another benefit is that organic coffee buyers do provide premium to coffee farmers with the intention of developing the production of organic coffee”.
Commenting on the future plans, Mr Ollomi said, in order to increase the scope of the company’s income, the company’s management has already embarked on strategies meant to establish a coffee roasting unit.
“By introducing the coffee roasting unit, we will be able to roast, pack and sell the coffee produced by our members, both locally and abroad; this will increase the income due to the fact coffee will be sold after adding its value,” he noted.
