NANDI COOPERATORS CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF COOPERATIVES AT CHEBONET COFFEE MILLING PLANT
Members of different cooperative societies in Nandi turned up in large numbers to celebrate the 104th international day of cooperatives/Ushirika day at Chebonet Coffee milling plant in Songhor/Soba Ward, Tinderet sub-county.
Ushirika day is celebrated annually on the 1st Saturday of July and this year’s national celebrations will be held on 4th July at Uhuru Park.
Currently, there is a total of 619 registered cooperative societies in Nandi with a total of 394,309 members, a share capital of 2.4 billion and an annual turnover of 3.6 billion.
Speaking during the event, the permanent secretary for Cooperatives CPA Patrick Kilemi said that his department is working closely with Kaimosi Farmers Training Centre to capacity build farmers and cooperators in Nandi. He added that his department will deliver 100,000 certified coffee seedlings and 10,000 certified Avocado Seedlings to each sub-county in Nandi. He encouraged dairy farmers to focus on more production. 
Deputy governor Dr. Yulita Mitei who was representing Governor Stephen Sang in the event thanked the cooperators for joining different societies saying that through cooperatives, communities are empowered and wealth is created.
She applauded the department of Agriculture and Cooperative Development for the commendable work they have done over the years adding that through the department, the county has Nandi Milk which is packaged at Nandi Dairy Cooperative Union in Kabiyet and Nandi Coffee from Chebonet Coffee milling plant in Tinderet.
Agriculture and Cooperative development CECM Dr. Kiplimo Arap Lagat encouraged farmers and residents to join different cooperative societies saying that farmers are connected to better market prizes through value addition on their farm produce. He encouraged all the cooperative societies to start a SACCO so that members can access loans at a lower interest rate. He said that the national government through the state department of cooperatives should pass a law that recognizes a diversified multi-value chain for the benefit of the small-holder farmers in the country. On his part, Agriculture and cooperative development Chief Officer Dr Paul Sanga thanked the cooperators for embracing cooperative societies and complying with Cooperative rules and regulations.
Tinderet member of parliament Hon. Julius Melly who was also present during the event said that he has been a member of different cooperative societies in Nandi for many years which has been beneficial to him. He also added that with the availability of land,he is ready to build a Coffee Research Institute station in Tinderet in order to address certified seeds shortage adding that Nandi needs over one million coffee seedlings. He also encourage each household in Nandi to plant atleast 5 Avocado trees in their homestead.
Songhor/Soba Ward representative Hon. Raymond Chelule said that he is pleased to see many farmers planting coffee because he started championing for coffee farming in his village by starting a coffee seedlings nursery in 2013. He asked the leaders from Tinderet sub-county present to come together and help in securing a piece of land for setting up a fertilizer distribution centre in the region.
Nandi Coffee Cooperative Union chairperson John Saina asked the government to set up a police station at Chebonet Milling Plant in order to improve security and faster emergency response incase of any theft or security breach at the milling plant.
On his part, Edward Barng’etuny who is a third generation farmer from Tinderet urged his fellow farmers to plant certified seeds in order to produce good quality coffee beans for the market. He noted that many farmers are faced with a challenge of getting certified seeds because there is a shortage in the country.
Currently, coffee farmers get certified coffee seedlings from the Coffee Research and Training Institute CRTI in Ruiru,Kitale and Koru which is a challenge to many coffee farmers in Nandi.
Nandi has members of dairy,coffee,avocado, poultry,tea,potato, sugarcane, tea transport,housing, investment, multipurpose, public transport which comprises of Matatu, bodaboda na taxi, women, youth and both Urban and Rural SACCOs.
During the event, different cooperative societies were awarded in different categories.
The Apple Sacco (Best Rural Sacco), Translite Sacco(Best Urban Sacco), Lessos Farmers Cooperative Society ( Best Dairy Cooperative Society), Kapsaos Farmers Cooperative Society( Best Coffee Cooperative Society), Kaplamai Farmer Cooperative Society( Best Tea Transport Sacco), Classic Sacco (Best Transport Sacco) were among those who were awarded in today’s celebrations.