Nandi County Strengthens Emerging Coffee Cooperatives Through Farmer-to-Farmer Learning Program

The initiative, implemented under the county’s Hybrid Extension Model, saw eight young coffee cooperatives from Nandi Hills Sub-County visit the successful Kapsaos Toretmoi and Koimet Farmers Cooperative Societies in Aldai Sub-County for a learning and benchmarking exercise.

County officials said the model integrates agricultural extension officers, private sector actors, lead farmers and cooperative movements to ensure farmers gain access to modern technologies, innovations and Good Agricultural Practices.

The participating cooperatives included Toroton, Kelbui, Kogamei, Kapkagaron, Chepketilei, Kaptuma, Kimolonik and Kepchamo Kolangei Farmers Cooperative Societies.

The exchange visit focused on sharing successful cooperative management practices, exposing farmers to modern technologies along the coffee value chain, strengthening governance and leadership structures, and promoting gender inclusion in coffee farming.

“Farmers learn from farmers, and cooperatives grow through cooperatives,” the county government said, emphasising the importance of practical learning through farmer-led knowledge exchange.

Nandi County’s most successful coffee societies

The visit also allowed the emerging cooperatives to benchmark against some of the county’s most successful coffee societies.

Established in 1981, Kapsaos Toretmoi Farmers Cooperative Society has 3,720 members and processes more than 3 million kilograms of coffee cherries annually, generating an estimated turnover of KSh500 million.

Koimet Farmers Cooperative Society, registered in 2010, comprises 1,320 members and produces about 600,000 kilograms of coffee cherries annually, with a turnover of approximately KSh 95 million. The society has also diversified into ventures such as vermicomposting, mushroom farming, coffee nursery establishment and grafting technologies.

County officials said the success of the two cooperatives offers valuable lessons on diversification, value addition, accountability and sustainable growth.

“The knowledge has been shared; the next step is implementation,” the county government noted, adding that it remains committed to building resilient cooperatives, improving coffee quality and expanding market opportunities for farmers.

Coffee remains one of Nandi’s key cash crops, with county leaders increasingly looking to cooperative strengthening and knowledge-sharing initiatives as a pathway to boosting production and enhancing farmers’ earnings.