During a meeting with the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) factory leaders and directors at State House, President William Ruto said branding tea from Kenya will boost earnings for farmers, while contributing to the economy.
He noted that the recent state of affairs has been wanting as farmers are denied the best prices due to continious reliance on selling unprocessed tea.
“Kenya’s tea should be branded to increase its visibility in the global market and labelling it with a mark of origin,” Ruto said. “We cannot continue exporting our tea in sacks. In three years, we must export 60% of value-added and branded tea. KTDA and the Tea Board of Kenya must work together in branding our tea.”
People in the tea sector say challenges, including high charges that eat into their meager profits and laxity in the government to tackle immediate issues are hurting the developed sector. The president has now called on leaders in tea factories to work on common user facilities so that in three to five years, Kenya would export at least 60% of processed and branded tea.
President Ruto’s push for processed and branded tea comes at a time when tea factories which have invested in hydro- power station are expected to start receiving income from the power they sell to Kenya Power and Lighting Company. There will also be a reduction of management fee the KTDA charges farmers to 1.5% from 2.5%.
Additionally, Kenya Forest Service and KTDA are expected to enter into an agreement through which tea factories will take part in the country’s 15 billion tree-planting programme, and also be able to harvest trees in various forests for their wood fuel.
“As we operationalise the Tea Tribunal within three months, we will meet to assess the progress in resolving all the issues raised,” Ruto said, with hopes that in the next meet up, the issues raised shall have been resolved.
