Rising demand pushes tea exports up 19% in first quarter
The volume of tea exports went up 19 per cent in the first quarter of 2024, boosted by increased shipment to key markets, Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) has said.
The exports rose to 155.8 million kg, up from 131.1 million kg posted in January-March 2023, TBK said in a report released in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
It attributed the surge to rising demand in traditional and emerging markets. “Traditional markets recorded increased imports for Kenya tea. Notably, Chad emerged as a key market, recording consistent increase in exports from Kenya,” the report said.
Top destination
Overall, Pakistan was the top destination for Kenyan tea, importing 50.8 million kg in the first quarter, up from 39.3 million kg recorded in the same period in 2023. Other top buyers were Britain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Kenya’s total tea export volume rose from 450.33 million kg in 2022 to 522.92 million kg in 2023. It earned Sh180.57 billion (about $1.4 billion) in 2023 from tea, an increase from $950 million the previous year. “These are the best earnings ever recorded by the tea industry over the years,” said Willy Mutai, the TBK chief executive officer. Tea is one of Kenya’s main foreign exchange earners, alongside tourism and horticulture. Kenya has prioritised increasing the level of value-added tea exports from 5 per cent in 2023 to 50 per cent by 2027.
Kenya’s tea industry has reached new heights, reporting a remarkable 31 per cent increase in the value of tea exports in 2023.
