Unggai-Bena MP Kinoka Hotune has announced that recipients under the Unggai-Bena Tertiary Education Tuition Fee Assistance (UBTETFA) program have planted 613, 163 coffee trees across Unggai- Bena District during the rollout of the program, which commenced in December 2023.
The local MP was pleased to reveal that this program has been able to create a win-win situation for all.
He said the Unggai Bena District Development Authority (UBDDA) in turn supported 1, 036 Unggai Bena students across 52 higher education institutions across the country and overseas.
The local MP said the school fee subsidy program is tied in with Coffee Planting. “We are paying school fees on the condition that each student plants a maximum of 500 coffee trees at a rate of K5 per coffee tree planted towards their school fees. Between December 2023 and March 2024, students planted a total of 613, 163 coffee trees.”
“We have been telling our people back home to plant more coffee trees but they have not been listening. Parents would do anything for their children. So, this strategy is really doing wonders. We are paying school fees for their kids, any parent would do anything for their children, so they are going out of their way to plant coffee because of the love they have for their children.”
Mr Hotune said that by using minimum rates per tree, this initiative will increase coffee production with 7, 664 exportable green bean bags (459.9 tonnes).
“Our target is a minimum of 500, 000 trees through this program every year until 2027. If I return after 2027, this program will continue for the next 5 years. In the next 3 years following this initiative, we can expect to produce 23, 000 GB bags. With targets set out under the MTDP 4 of 3 million bags, Unggai Bena’s contribution would be 23, 000 bags increase from this one strategy,” he said.
He highlighted that the coffee and school fee subsidy program cost K5 million. K4.1m was paid to school fees, whilst K900, 000 for nursery materials under the district’s partnership with the Coffee Industry Corporation Ltd (CICL).
CICL Chief Executive Officer Charles Dambui commended this initiative and said the Unggai-Bena MP was taking an incredible approach and doing something good for the future generations and the coffee industry as a whole. “I highly commend you and your team for this great effort in contributing towards coffee production.”
Meanwhile, the UBTETFA program is calling on students to contact their respective student leaders and institutions bursary for listing and respective payments.
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