Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, on Monday, touched down in the Medellin City of Colombia ahead of an upcoming coffee stakeholder's meeting.
Flanked by coffee farmers, Gachagua will grace the Coffee Producers and Roasters Forum scheduled to be held in the South American country.
He noted that the trip was driven by his office's mission to improve the income generated by farmers.
"I have arrived in Bogota, Colombia, with my delegation, which includes farmers, ahead of the Coffee Producers and Roasters Forum in Medellin City in our quest to promote our coffee for better earnings to the farmer. Coffee reforms are steadily on track," announced the DP.
"Our farmers must earn what they deserve - more money in their pockets. One of the strategies of doing so is engaging high-value markets for better prices."
Part of the negotiations will involve high-level business forums and bilateral engagements with Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez.
Colombia is among the big consumers of coffee worldwide, with an estimated per capita consumption of 2.8 kilogrammes, a 40 per cent increase from 2.0 kilogrammes.
According to Trend Economy, a statistics website, the South American country imports its coffee mostly from Brazil (55 per cent) followed by Peru (20 per cent) and Honduras (5.89%). Kenya does not make it to the list of the top 10.
In May 2023, Gachagua, the deputy president, announced that Kenya would seek to boost agricultural ties with Colombia.
At the time, Marquez had visited Kenya in an effort to work together in looking for ways to strengthen the coffee industry in Kenya.
“Currently, the Kenya government is collaborating with the Colombian government in various sectors including agriculture, environment conservation, science and technology, culture and education," Gachagua stated.
“The Kenyan government seeks to cultivate cooperation in these sectors, with a specific focus on the coffee subsector,” the DP revealed.
Gachagua's latest trip forms part of his plan to reform the Kenyan coffee sector he claims has been infiltrated by cartels.
