The Mountain Journal in Mombasa

The small holder tea factories in the week netted a payment of Sh 1.6 billion after the offer of 4,786,217 kgs of tea through the Mombasa Tea Auction.

The payment to the factories under the KTDA management reflected an increase compared to last week’s of Sh 1.5 billion after the auction of 4,426,369 kgs.

In the market,  50 buyers purchased  9.2 million kgs sourced from Kenya that accounted for  7.7 million kgs, Uganda 995,525 kgs, Rwanda 491, 173 kgs,  and Burundi 23,386 kgs.

The report from the auction outlined that Murang’a-based Ngere factory netted Sh 66.2 million after the offer of  169,480 kgs,  Imenti Sh 44.6 million ( 111,656kgs), Rukuriri Sh 34 million (84,704 kgs), Gacharage  Sh 27.4 million( 70,747kgs), Kathangariri Sh 11 million (27,880kgs), among others.

KTDA Chairman Enos Njeru said that despite the ongoing Middle East crisis that has blocked the waterway to the tea markets after the closure of the Port of Salalah in Iran, buyers are working on a strategy to secure alternative routes.

Njeru urged the growers to pluck the recommended green leaf as the market was interested in the quality tea, with factories under firm instructions to observe quality and hygiene.

“ Although the routes will be longer, there is hope for the Kenya tea to reach the markets in the interest of the growers,” said Njeru.

.Factories that offered over 100,000 kgs of tea with attribution to the current rains included Ngere 169,480 kgs, Momul 126,512 kgs,  Kanyenya Ini 120,885 kgs, Mogogosiek 119,556kgs, Mununga 117,873kgs among others.

A report by the Tea Brokers East Africa Limited (TBEAL) outlined that in the auction, the buyers bought 128,783 packages, accounting for 77. 82 percent, as another 36,021 packages were labelled unsold.

In the buyers category, Global Tea purchased 1,693,584kgs, KTDA-owned Chai Trading 1,404,293kgs, Aditya Birla 875,525kgs, LAB International 524,504 kgs, James Finlay 673,225 kgs.