Severe droughts have left multinational and small-scale tea farmers counting their losses as they face declining yields.
In an effort to cut costs, some tea companies have pruned tea bushes and laid off workers due to reduced harvests over the past four months.
The Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed concerns about falling yields of cash crops such as tea, coffee, pyrethrum and sugarcane, attributing the situation to dry weather.
“The decreased rain has affected the development of tea, coffee, sugarcane, pyrethrum and other crops,” states an annual report released in April.
As reported by the Tea Directorate, overall production has reduced by five million kilogrammes, from 140.98 million to 135.83 million kilogrammes. Continued declines in harvests are expected to result in lower revenues for farmers.
Based on the ministry’s report, neglect is among the contributing factors to the reduction in coffee production in the Rift Valley.
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In the previous season, the region produced 65,618.50 tonnes of coffee, but the harvest is expected to be lower due to drought, diseases and neglect of fields by farmers.
The Rift Valley region has 35 active factories, three of which are owned by estates.
“Coffee production remains as profitable as maize and wheat despite challenges,” said Mr Peter Boit, a farmer in Uasin Gishu County.
Wheat production in the Rift Valley dropped from six million to four million bags due to unpredictable rainfall, according to the ministry.
Last season, the Rift Valley produced an average of 4.5 million bags of wheat from 127,825 hectares.
Kenya produces an annual average of 365,600 tonnes of wheat, compared with national consumption of 8.4 million tonnes. The gap is bridged through imports.
Land allocated to wheat production in Uasin Gishu has declined from 40,000 hectares to 18,000 hectares as residents shift towards horticulture and dairy farming.
“There has been a fall in acreage under wheat in the last 10 years, which has impacted consumption and the cost of wheat products,” a county report said.
Most millers are purchasing wheat at Sh5,200 per 90-kilogramme bag, which farmers argue is insufficient due to rising production expenses in recent years.
– By Salome Thiani
