Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, met directors of the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) to review strides made in the tea sector.
In a statement after the meeting, Gachagua announced that the sector had recorded improvements, with farmers earning more bonuses.
He said that the improvement was as a result of direct engagement with farmers and stakeholders in the sector.
“This morning, at Official Residence in Karen, Nairobi, we engage with KTDA directors and other stakeholders in the tea subsector following remarkable improvement in this year’s bonuses. The higher earnings are as a result of the direct engagement with the farmers and stakeholders in the subsector,” Gachagua said.
“We will continue with this mode of engagement for better pay for the over 750,000 tea smallholders in the country. To maximise earnings for farmers, such continuous engagement and service to them is key.”
KTDA bonuses
Several tea factories under the KTDA umbrella have already declared higher bonuses for farmers, which has been partly boosted by the weakening shilling against the dollar.
Bonuses per kilo have improved by between Ksh6 and Ksh9 across different factories in the country, with farmers earning between Ksh30 and Ksh44 per kilo.
