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Kenyans have been urged to increase consumption of locally processed tea to increase its market share and enable farmers to boost their earnings. 

Six directors affiliated with Nyamache/ Itumbe tea factories in Kisii County noted that the global market was shrinking and it was necessary for Kenyans to promote the tea. The newly elected directors Abel Kenyoru, Job Ndarera, Solomon Choti, Mang’ana Barongo, Maxwel Magoma and Bernard Oirere spoke during a meeting at Nyamache Tea Factory.

Magoma said Kenyans were relying a lot on foreign markets unlike in countries such as India and China where locally processed tea was consumed fully and little was exported. “We want Kenyans to embrace the culture of consuming our tea to extend the sales and enlarge the market,” Magoma said.

Tea husbandry

Magoma also implored farmers to embrace proper tea husbandry to increase the quality and quantity of the crop to fetch high prices in the global market to boost their earnings and standard of living.

The director noted they will ensure the tea factories, and machines are clean and efficient and the tea is delivered at the factories in time to avoid compromising its quality and affecting farmers’ net earnings.

“The directors will fight graft at the buying centres and will not tolerate workers who mistreat farmers,” Magoma said and asked farmers to elect committee members of integrity in their respective buying centres. Choti said the directors will fight graft and weed out ghost farmers who colluded with tea-buying clerks to steal green leaves from unsuspecting farmers.

He said the directors will visit individual farmers, count their tea bushes and link it with the number of kilogrammes of raw tea they weigh at the buying centres and ascertain whether they match.

“We will follow the ghost farmers from the buying centres to the factories and action will be taken against those who falsify the kilogrammes” Choti said.

Buying centres

The director, who is vying for the factory’s chairmanship, formerly held by Kenyoru said they will register new buying centres based on the volume of tea leaves farmers produce and infrastructure.

Kenyoru, who is vying for membership of Kenya Tea Development Agency ( KTDA)  Holding said they will implement reforms to improve the tea sector and benefit farmers.