Discussions on the need to produce high-quality tea were a focal point during the Kenya Tea Development Holdings Limited (KTDA) induction programme for factory directors, which began Monday in Mombasa.
National Chairman Enos Njeru (pictured), who was recently re-elected, expressed confidence that improving tea quality is the key to addressing the challenge of unsold tea volumes that have recently troubled the sector. Speaking to the press during the induction, Njeru urged tea farmers to prioritize quality over quantity, emphasizing that those who focus on quality will see their sales thrive.
He encouraged farmers to adhere to the standard of plucking two leaves and a bud to maintain quality, noting that tea hawking compromises this by allowing buyers who are indifferent to quality.
“We have been seeing and hearing issues about the volumes of unsold tea and this is all about quality,” the chair explained.
Increased payments
He also highlighted that poor pay forces some farmers to sell their tea indiscriminately. To counter this, KTDA has increased payments to farmers to motivate them to bring their tea to the agency.
Njeru further stressed the importance of handling, explaining that overloading baskets can damage the leaves and release chemicals that affect tea quality. He encouraged farmers to pick tea by hand rather than using machinery, which he said negatively impacts the quality. The chairman affirmed KTDA’s commitment to improving tea quality nationwide.
He announced plans to establish minimum quality standards for all KTDA teas, enhancing competitiveness in the global market and ensuring Kenyan tea remains a preferred product.
Additionally, KTDA is implementing technological measures such as tea coding at the factory level to improve stock monitoring and management. Njeru noted that this year’s high tea volumes resulted from favourable rains and fertiliser availability, which contributed to increased unsold stocks.
To address this, KTDA plans to diversify its product range, reducing the overstocking of black CTC tea and offering a variety of products to cater to different market preferences. He urged factories to engage in value addition and diversify their tea products to meet evolving consumer demands.
Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) CEO Willy Mutai highlighted the significant role of the 71 small-scale managed factories, which contribute up to 56 percent of the national crop production. He noted that these factories generate over Sh100 billion annually, with this year’s production expected to be higher than last year’s 266 million kilos, contributing positively to the GDP and farmers’ income.
