KTDA denies claims 200m Kgs of expired tea
Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has refuted claims that it is holding 200 million kilogrammes of expired, unsold tea, dismissing these claims as rumours.
The agency responded to accusations stemming from financial disclosures by Williamson Tea Kenya, asserting that no such expired stocks exist.
“The said stocks cannot be destroyed since no such stocks exist as alleged,” KTDA’s corporate communication team stated emphatically. The agency stressed that any tea in their warehouses is preserved to the highest standards, representing the hard work of farmers across the nation.
“KTDA holds no expired teas and adheres to high standards in its entire value chain – from plucking, processing, transportation, and storage - to maintain the highest quality for consumers worldwide,” the statement continued.
KTDA highlighted its commitment to quality control across all stages of its operations. “We maintain rigorous quality assurance processes to ensure that our products meet the expectations of our global clientele,” KTDA said.
Tea destroyed
The issue arose from a financial disclosure by Williamson Tea Kenya, which suggested that KTDA should destroy what it claimed to be 200 million kilograms of expired tea. Williamson Tea argued that the destruction of these stocks would help alleviate market saturation and stabilize prices.
They posited that the presence of such a vast quantity of unsold tea was negatively impacting the overall market dynamics.
While Williamson Tea proposed that eliminating the alleged surplus would normalize market pricing, KTDA firmly dismissed these claims, asserting that their inventory management practices ensure that no expired tea exists within their storage facilities.
