Kenya’s Agriculture PS orders audit of private tea factories to ensure quality standards | Food Business Africa
KENYA – Kenya’s Agriculture Principal Secretary, Paul Ronoh, has instructed the Kenya Tea Board to conduct a comprehensive audit of private tea factories in the country.
The directive, aimed at safeguarding Kenya’s tea quality standards, seeks to address issues affecting tea production and maintain the reputation of Kenyan tea in international markets.
PS Ronoh highlighted the Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) factories as exemplary in their commitment to quality, noting that they adhere to production and processing standards that uphold Kenya’s global tea reputation.
In contrast, he raised concerns over certain private tea factories, which he claimed produce subpar tea, compromising the overall image of Kenyan tea exports.
“If KTDA factories comply with accepted tea production and processing standards, other private tea firms are violating the rules, and this must stop,” Ronoh stated.
He urged the Kenya Tea Board to hold off on registering new tea factories until it has completed an audit of existing facilities.
Additionally, he called for the board to address quality complaints from farmers promptly to ensure competitiveness in international markets.
Ronoh emphasized that Kenya’s tea sector, a key pillar of the country’s economy, relies heavily on the consistency and quality of its products.
He expressed confidence in KTDA factories, which he said are cost-efficient and transparent in their operations. He also encouraged private tea firms to align their practices with government-approved standards for the benefit of tea farmers.
Meanwhile, farmers in Kenya’s West Rift region have raised concerns over the Mombasa tea auction, calling for a revision of the Tea Act to address challenges related to cartel activities that, they claim, influence the auction process.
Farmers in the region recently received bonus payments of KES 20 (US$0.16) per kilogram, considerably lower than the KES 62 (US$0.48) per kilogram received by farmers in the East Rift region.
They attribute these discrepancies to the manipulation by powerful players in the tea market, which they say impacts their earnings.
The farmers have also opposed the practice of consolidating multiple factories under a single management structure, arguing that such mergers reduce efficiency and lower their incomes.
They have called for factory directors to play a more proactive role in advocating for fair practices that protect farmers’ interests.
Despite these challenges, tea farming continues to be a vital economic activity in Kenya.
Between July 2023 and June 2024, Kenyan tea farmers delivered 1.41 billion kilograms of green leaf, earning KES 88.52 billion (US$686.1 million) across 54 factories nationwide.
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