Nandi Strengthens Coffee Value Addition with Sh60 Million Milling Plant to Boost Farmers’ Earnings

Nandi County is accelerating its coffee revival programme through increased investment in local value addition, with the Sh60 million Nandi Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union milling plant at Chebonet emerging as a key driver of higher farmer incomes, improved coffee quality, and stronger cooperative marketing.

Located in Songhor-Soba Ward, Tinderet Sub-county, the modern milling facility has transformed coffee processing in the county by allowing farmers to mill their produce locally instead of transporting parchment coffee to processors in other regions. The shift has reduced transport costs, improved efficiency, and enabled more value to remain within the county.

The milling plant serves as the central processing hub for the Nandi Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union, receiving coffee from dozens of primary cooperative societies across Tinderet, Aldai, Chesumei, Mosop, Nandi Hills, and other coffee-growing areas.

According to Nandi County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture and Livestock Development Benard Lagat, the facility has fundamentally changed the county’s coffee industry by strengthening cooperative marketing and improving access to premium markets.

“The Chebonet Coffee Mill is more than a processing facility. It is an economic empowerment project owned by farmers through their cooperative union. By processing our coffee locally, we retain value within Nandi, improve traceability, strengthen quality assurance and connect farmers directly to better-paying markets,” said Lagat.

The investment forms part of the county government’s broader strategy to build a farmer-owned coffee industry anchored on strong cooperative societies rather than individual marketing. County officials say the approach has encouraged greater collaboration among growers while improving bargaining power and market access.

The growth of the cooperative movement has mirrored the expansion of coffee production across the county. Membership of the Nandi Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union has grown from just 18 primary societies a few years ago to more than 100 organised cooperatives, reflecting renewed confidence in the sector.

Lagat said the county marketed more than 2.2 million kilogrammes of clean coffee worth approximately KSh1.9 billion during the current marketing season, placing Nandi among Kenya’s leading coffee-producing counties.

The Chebonet facility undertakes cleaning, grading, milling, and preparation of export-quality coffee before marketing through the Nairobi Coffee Exchange. Recent upgrades, including the installation of a modern weighbridge, have improved accountability, accurate weighing, and logistics for large deliveries from cooperative societies.

County officials say additional investments are planned to expand the mill’s operational capacity as coffee acreage continues to increase. The facility has been designed with room for future expansion to accommodate rising production volumes.

Alongside investment in processing infrastructure, the county government has distributed more than eight million certified coffee seedlings in recent years, complemented by extension services, farmer training, and support for cooperative governance. These interventions have encouraged many farmers to rehabilitate neglected coffee farms while attracting new growers following improved market prices.

The benefits of the coffee revival have extended beyond producers. Local transporters have reduced delivery costs by accessing a nearby processing facility, while young people have secured employment in coffee aggregation, transport, milling operations, quality control, and warehouse management. Increased activity at the milling plant has also stimulated business growth around Chebonet trading centre.

The county’s emphasis on improved agronomic practices has enhanced both productivity and quality. According to county officials, nearly 80 per cent of Nandi’s coffee is now classified as premium AA and AB grades, enabling farmers to earn competitive prices at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange.

Nandi County is now working with national institutions and development partners to further strengthen the coffee value chain through research, mechanisation, improved pulping facilities, and enhanced transport infrastructure.

Agricultural stakeholders say the success of the Chebonet milling plant demonstrates the importance of investing in farmer-owned value addition facilities. By processing coffee closer to production areas, cooperatives retain a greater share of the crop’s value while supporting rural economic growth and increasing household incomes.

With coffee acreage continuing to expand across the county, the Chebonet mill is expected to remain at the centre of Nandi’s coffee transformation, supporting higher production, stronger cooperatives, and increased returns for thousands of smallholder farmers.