Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr Kipronoh Rono has said the government is committed to improving tea sector in Kisii region to ensure farmers secure higher income from the commodity.
In a meeting with Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary Stephen Isaboke and Board of Directors of Nyamache Tea Factory which was intended to address challenges facing tea farmers and strengthen the tea value chain in Kisii County, Dr Rono directed the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) to ensure no hawking of tea takes place within Kisii region as part of efforts to revitalize the sector.
Dr Rono said the President’s directive to allow tea factories to sell their produce directly to buyers has presented an opportunity to improve farmers’ earnings by providing greater access to markets and reducing reliance on traditional marketing channels.
This comes as Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) announces the procurement of 2 million bags of fertiliser for tea farmers across the country.
“The fertiliser that tea farmers use will also be Ksh 2,500, just like the fertiliser for other farmers,” said Rono.
The measure is expected to help reduce production costs for tea farmers while enabling them to invest more in maintaining and improving their farms.
Tea remains an important economic activity in Kisii County, supporting thousands of households and contributing significantly to the local economy.
“Many of us from Kisii grew up on proceeds from the sale of tea and so as leaders from the region, who truly understand what these tea farms mean to our people, we must find solutions for our farmers,” said Isaboke.
The discussions focused on measures to improve farmers’ earnings through value addition, innovation, digitalisation, direct marketing and reduction of production costs.
Additional measures to revitalize the tea sector in the region include replacement of aging tea bbushes in phases to improve quality and secure farmers income.
Smallholder tear farmers are also set to receive 100,000 seedlings while 14 tea factories in Kisii County and Nyamira County will also receive 100,000 seedlings each.
The board further urged the government to consider financing renovation and installation of a new orthodox tea line at the tea factory at an estimated cost of Ksh 250 million.
