NAIROBI, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday called for the urgent removal of all barriers that hinder coffee farmers from reaping maximum profits from the cash crop.
Kenyatta, who held a meeting in Nairobi with visiting International Coffee Organization (ICO) Executive Director José Sette, said lack of proper regulations has given room for middlemen to benefit from coffee at the expense of hardworking farmers.
This has led to a decline in the output of coffee, once one of Kenya's leading foreign exchange earners.
"Coffee is one of Kenya's key cash crops, but unfortunately it has been facing challenges. There is need to streamline the sector so that farmers can benefit," he said.
Sette briefed Kenyatta on the the forthcoming 124th Session of the International Coffee Council, which will be held in Nairobi on March 25-29, according to a statement issued by the presidency after the meeting.
The session, which will be attended by delegates from both coffee producing and consuming countries, will provide an opportunity for Kenyan farmers to exchange ideas with their counterparts from other countries and experts in the search for solutions facing the sector, Sette said.
He praised efforts by the Kenyan government to get coffee farming back on track for the benefit of farmers, including finding new markets for the crop, saying Kenya is globally renowned for its premium quality coffee.
