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The national government has been petitioned to offset loans which tea factories owe financial institutions to ease the burden of farmers and ease their lives.

Newly elected zone 11 Kenya Tea Development Agency ( KTDA) Holdings Board member, James Omweno who is affiliated to Ogembo/ Eberege tea factories said most factories owe financial institutions more than Sh600 million in loans and are struggling to repay them.

He also appealed to the government to subsidize fertilizer and offer tea farmers grants to boost tea production, earnings and farmers standard of living

. “Adverse weather affects tea farming. We urge the government to support tea farmers like other sectors to mitigate the impact,” Omweno said.

 He spoke at Ogembo Tea Factory, Kisii County yesterday after he won the election against Abel Kenyoru in an exercise presided over by area Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Returning Officer, Kennedy Okungu.

The official appealed to farmers to produce quality tea leaves to fetch high prices in the international markets and urged factory managers to ensure it was properly processed to compete with tea from other areas.

Kenyoru said tea prices in the global markets were fluctuating and urged the government to reactivate the Stabilization Fund to stabilize farmers’ tea bonus earnings when prices are poor in the global market.

The director, affiliated to Nyamache Itumbe factories said the fund will help the farmers when the prices are low, thus motivate them boost tea farming.