The Mountain Journal
editor@themountainjournal.co.ke
Tea stakeholders have initiated a programmes that will train farmers in the west of the rift on enhanced quality production.
The programme by Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) and KTDA will help in training the farmers at Mumol tea factory between November 26,and November 29 and between December 2 and December 6.
The 28 tea factories will select 10 farmers each to attend the two sessions of training.
The quality improvement programme is among the initiatives recommended by the stakeholders in the tea sector designed to end the culture of the unsold tea that had affected the sector in the last two years.
TBK CEO Willy Mutai said the training session will be conducted in two phases.
“The programme on quality is geared to assist the west of the rift to realise better returns from the market,” said Mutai.
He adds that the initiative is a joint venture with KTDA, East African Tea Traders association, Kalro, tea research and independent producers association where each factory will select 10 farmers to attend the forum.
Mutai says training will be attended by selected growers from the 28 KTDA managed factories.
The training will be on farm management, green leaf plucking,pruning, fertilizer application and tea prices among other crucial topics.
“TBK has devised strategies to address reducing small scale tea farmers’ earnings in the West of Rift Region. Besides market related factors, tea quality is a key determinant of the tea price at the market. TBK is leading a farmer-centred sensitization campaign to restore tea quality in the region,” said Mutai.
KTDA Holding Chairman Enos Njeru said Kenya tea is celebrated globally for its quality owing to the 600,000 farmers adhering to the better farming practise.
Njeru said at the factory level there are agriculture extension officers who in the past one year have been assisting the farmers on quality production.
“KTDA and TBK are partners working towards helping the tea farmers produce the best quality eying the better prices in the market,” said Njeru.
TBK directors Ken Kaburi and Charles Kirigwi said the move to train the farmers follows the market trends where the buyers are interested in quality.
They said tea farm management is an agenda that will assist the growers produce the best quality.
Kaburi said the training will have a major impact in the coming years as the farmers will be producing the best thus earning better returns.
“The move by the stakeholders to involve the growers is a major milestone, destined to revamp the sector for the interest of the growers,” said Kaburi from the west of the rift.
Kirigwi, who represents east of the rift, said the farmers have been trained on quality grades.
“ It is now prudent that all the growers produce the quality grades irrespective of the regions they come from,” said Kirigwi.
A tea value chain expert Peter Kamore says the concept of quality tea will ensure the farmers get value for their money.
Kamore asserts that farmers from the west for years have suffered as they earn little despite production of volumes.
“ Removal of the reserve price will hurt the tea sector but in future it will be celebrated when all the growers get good returns,” said Kamore.
Last week, during the tea centenary celebrations in Mombasa the Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki, asked the stakeholders in the sector to encourage production of the quality tea to attract more buyers.
“Tea is a crucial sector of the economy this need for the growers be encouraged in quality tea production, said Kindiki
