The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Coffee farmers in Kirinyaga County are raising alarm over a surge in theft of ripe coffee cherries from their farms.
The thieves, suspected to be working with coffee cartels, reportedly strike at night, harvesting ripe cherries and leaving farmers counting heavy losses.
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Kirinyaga Central and Gichugu constituencies have been identified as the most affected areas, with cases reported both at night and when farmers are away.
In Kiamuruga Village, Ndimi Location, several farmers recently discovered that unknown individuals had harvested their coffee overnight.
One of the victims, Joyce Kiragu, said she lost cherries from more than 500 coffee stems. “I went to the farm with my grandson to harvest, only to find the entire crop gone. It’s a huge loss,” she lamented.
Residents are now calling on security agencies to step up patrols and target brokers suspected of buying stolen coffee and selling it to private millers for cash.
