Kenya to resume tea export to Iran

The Mountain Journal

editor@themountainjournal.co.ke

Kenyan and Iranian governments have jointly formed a committee to lay modalities to fast track resumption of the tea trade in two months.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced that the committee will identify the obstacles that led to the ban of Kenya's tea in the Iranian market.

Mutahi spoke during the 7th Session of the Kenya–Iran Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) held in Nairobi, co-chaired by Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi and Dr. Gholamreza Nouri Ghezalcheh, Minister of Agricultural Jihad of Iran.

 Tea market reports outlines Iran is a top ten importer of Kenyan tea, having imported 13 million kgs of tea in 2024. 

The tea stakeholders among them KTDA, Tea Board of Kenya and exporters lauded the restoring of the Iranian market, saying it was vital as it will support the livelihoods of the smallholder tea farmers.

“The move comes in the wake of a criminal trade malpractice involving a Kenyan company, Cup of Joe Limited, which has since been deregistered by the TBK,” said the CS.

The management of the Cup of Joe Limited, which was involved into alleged malpractice are set to face prosecution.

“The Investigations revealed that the firm imported low-grade tea, blended it, and re-exported it to Iran as high-grade Kenyan tea, triggering a diplomatic dispute and the subsequent ban,” said the CS

The committee will develop a framework to restore trust and ensure compliance with quality standards, with the ultimate goal of resuming tea exports before the end of the 60-day period.

According to TBK in 2023, Kenya exported 12.4 million kgs of tea to Iran in 2023, worth Sh 4.28 billion.

“ The ban caused significant losses to Kenyan tea farmers and exporters, as last year we had sold 17.8 million kgs valued at Sh 5.85 billion,” read the TBK report