Kenya: Coffee Regulator Plans Aggressive Online Marketing - AllAfrica.com

Allan OdhiamboNairobi

Coffee manufacturers may soon have got further marketplace chances as industry regulator Coffee Board of Republic Of Kenya researches online connectivity to purchasers abroad.

In a conception dubbed e-marketing, CBK expects to set up linkages to forte markets, especially in the US, beginning February through the touching of a button. Some 80 processing mills have got enrolled to marketplace their green goods through the conception when it is inaugurated. The new scheme is supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the United States based Coffee Quality Institute (CQI).

"We are specifically targeting forte java where we shall have got samples tested locally by certified liquorors and marketed electronically abroad," CBK managing manager Loise Njeru said.

Analysts said the on-line strategy would supplement the current auction bridge and direct gross sales systems as agriculturists seek competitory pricing of their commodity. The old selling systems have got been faced with challenges prompting agriculturists to seek right from the State.

The weekly auction bridge have been dogged by claims of terms fixing among traders on the trading flooring - a development that have seen some husbandmen seek an option in the direct gross sales system to marketplaces abroad.

But this scheme have proved negativist to them because of numerous enlistments such as as a drawn-out clearance process before making cargoes out of the country. And with the planned startup of e-marketing, expectation is that it could pull a just share of agriculturists aiming to set down better fortunes. "I believe husbandmen and roasters will take advantage of the liberalization of java selling to construct profitable concern relationships," said Mrs Njeru.

As portion of attempts to research new markets, 100s of local liquorors have got been undergoing preparation based on criteria in the United States marketplace to ease the integrating of the supply chain. CQI have got developed A particular criteria manual and is currently coordinating the preparation programme of the liquorors.

"For the first time, we are put to fall in the planetary forte java industry by utilising the planetary forte criterion to guarantee husbandmen and roasters talk the same concern language," said Mrs Njeru .

The functionary said the preparation on a common criterion would give Republic Of Republic Of Kenya an advantage in cardinal international marketplaces in that it would get rid of cumbrous grading at assorted points of sale, besides ensuring husbandmen have a definite mention in footing of prices.

It would, however, be interesting to observe how those involved in the e-marketing concept would cover with the nothingness in statute law government electronic commerce.

Kenya have no statute law on e-commerce, a place that presents a drawback to enterprisers seeking to transport out fiscal minutes through the cyberspace because written documents generated and carried through this medium are not recognised as official.

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A Bill on Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) that sought to legalise e-commerce failed to see the visible light of twenty-four hours after Information curate Mutahi Kagwe hastily withdrew it to let for amendments to subdivisions stakeholders claimed were derogatory.

But as Republic Of Kenya prosecutes the way of forte coffee, analyst said accent must be accorded to proper farming to vouch insurance premium earnings. In this marketplace section pricing is strictly pegged on quality.

Luckily for the local growers, proper harvest farming is highly rated among reforms in the industry.