KENYA – Tea farmers in Kiambu County are calling for the full implementation of government-initiated tea sector reforms to increase returns from their produce.
They credit these reforms with revitalizing the sector, helping tea regain its status as Kenya’s “green gold.”
The reforms have led to improved prices for tea, enhancing farmers’ livelihoods and keeping them engaged in their farms. Now, farmers are focused on increasing their yields.
During a recent meeting with newly elected tea factory directors, James Waweru, a tea farmer, said: “Our directors and KTDA management have promised farmers that there will be an increase in tea bonuses, and we also expect that the green leaf pay we receive every month will be increased.”
The farmers are advocating for an increase in green leaf pay from KES25 (US$0.19) to KES30 (US$0.23) per kilogram. Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe, one of the new directors, emphasized that Kenyan tea will fetch competitive prices in global markets following value addition.
“Our farmers will enjoy a pay rise once tea value addition is fully adopted. There’s a ready market for tea products globally, which will also fetch our country billions in foreign exchange,” Kagombe stated.
Recently, President William Ruto allocated KES1 billion (US$7.6M) for the construction of two value-addition centers for Kenyan tea. These centers aim to enhance value addition and branding in locally manufactured tea products, serving the Western Rift and Eastern Rift tea-growing regions.
The President has urged the KTDA management to upgrade their facilities, automate processes, and support smaller factories in adding value and branding their teas.
Despite these reforms, new data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reveals alarming declines in the country’s coffee, tea, and cut flower exports.
According to the May 2024 report, tea exports have decreased from 56.3 thousand metric tonnes to 51.6 thousand metric tonnes, with values dropping from KES17.3 billion (US$131.56M) to KES15.6 billion (US$118.63M).
Similarly, coffee exports fell from 5.4 thousand metric tonnes in April 2024 to 4.7 thousand metric tonnes in May 2024, with the value decreasing from KES3.9 billion (US$29.66M) to KES3.6 billion (US$27.38M).
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