Factories to provide data on unsold tea

The Mountain Journal

editor@themountainjournal.co.ke

The Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) has ordered the tea factories under the management of KTDA to submit dates concerning the unsold tea.

the TBK expressed concerns over the depressed prices for the tea destined for export and the adverse impact on the small holder tea factories.

The regulator has requested each of the smallholders  submit data on the unsold tea in the warehouses and its value by May 23.

The Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) in a circular dated May 12,  expressed its concern on the depressed prices for Kenya export teas that has led to low income of factories and earnings for tea producers especially the smallholder farmers.

The TBK CEO Willy Mutai directed the factories to submit the data on the unsold tea as at  April 30th this year.

The Kericho meeting on May 6 attended by Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe  resolved that they need to establish the stock position of the unsold tea and its value.

“This information will be used to gauge the severity of the unprecedented low prices at the auction,”  read part of the circular.

In the past two months, the factory directors have been raising concern on the tea prices at the Mombasa Tea Auction. The circular has been copied to Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, Principal Secretary  Dr Kiprono Rono and KTDA CEO Wilson Muthaura.

The data once submitted will be verified and later assist the government to secure the overseas market mostly in Iran and China.

Last year, more than 119 million kilogrammes of tea was declared unsold with government intervention assisted to clear the commodity from the warehouses.

 Joseph Boit , a farmer in Bureti said the west of the rift has been producing volumes but the market receives less payment compared to the east of the rift.

“ Farmers are interested in establishing reasons associated with low returns after delivery of huge consignments in the market,” said Boit.