Farmer Name: Charles 

Age: 33 years;

Marital Status: Married with 2kids;

Farm Name: Beth Wambui Karanja;

Farm Acreage: Quarter Ha (1/4 ha);

Number of coffee trees: 300 stems of coffee trees but mature ones are 200 stems

Biography: 

l started coffee farming in the year 2019 after losing my job, my situation was desperate as l had nothing to feed my family. After struggling to get a job I realized that my search was not bearing fruit so l decided to go back to the drawing board.

After much deliberation I decided to approach my grandmother to give me the coffees that previously belonged to my grandfather, a suggestion to which she agreed.

At that time, she was producing only 50kgs from 80 stems which was 625 grams per tree. This production was very low so l decided to rehabilitate the coffee trees by doing grafting and that initial that year l got 216 kg  and 2.7 kgs per tree.

The third year there was no tangible harvest to report because the trees were small however the fourth year which is 2022/2023 l got 1200 kg from 200 stems which he had received from the area MCA 125 trees which means that one stem was producing 6 kgs. The year 2023/2024 unfortunately there has only been 670 kgs of cherry and 23 kgs of mbuni. You will note that there is a reduction in kilograms because of climate change, pests and diseases, infections and scares labor, so l decided to dig a well which is 80% complete and remains 20% so as to be complete, also I have purposed to plant many trees to ensure I provide my coffee with much-needed shade, curb soil erosion and boost the coffee growing environment all the while investing in a future revenue resource. 

This year l aim at producing 1500kgs/ 2000kgs 10 kg per tree  if the climate favors us however if the weather persists and is dry my well that still lacks a water pump might not save the crop and I might get the previous production also my tree planting venture may not come to fruition.