Leaders in the tea industry have been asked to take bold steps in repositioning the Kenyan tea on the global stage.

Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Rono urged industry stakeholders to move away from auction-based sales and toward strategic marketing to capture more lucrative markets.

“Our aim is to elevate Kenyan tea from a commodity priced like wood to one valued like gold,” he said at the Kenya Tea Summit hosted by the Tea Board of Kenya to celebrate 100 years of commercial tea production in Mombasa.

Rono emphasised that tea should be the second-most consumed beverage after water and proposed that a stronger push be made to encourage local consumption. This includes promoting tea and encouraging Kenyans to make tea part of their daily routines.

The PS expressed concern over the current low rate of tea consumption within the country, noting that it has dropped to around five percent.

“We need to make tea part of our identity as Kenyans. Let’s have it in our homes, our offices, and even during meetings. We need to be proud of what we sell,” he told the summit attendees at a Mombasa hotel.

In response to a recent setback involving a Kenya Revenue Authority system shutdown that halted tea exports and caused significant economic losses, Rono said the government is actively exploring more efficient processes to safeguard tea exports.

According to the PS, out of about 13 million tea farmers globally, nine million are small-scale farmers with Kenyan farmers representing 700,834 growers translating to seven percent of the farmers globally.

The Kenyan tea farmer, he said affects the livelihoods of close to 6.5 million Kenyans. It is for this reason, he said the government aims to enhance farmer support, ensuring they feel valued and appreciated as the backbone of Kenya’s tea production.

“Tea is not just any crop; it accounts for two percent of our GDP. Our vision is to grow this to 10 per cent by prioritising and supporting farmers,” Rono noted.

East African Tea Trade Association Chairman Arthur Sewe and his Managing director George Omuga acknowledged upward trend in tea prices, saying it is a sign of growth and success in the sector.

“In the last few years we have had little to talk of success in the sector but the positive change in prices is something to smile about,” he noted.

While noting that the tea industry has over the years repackaged itself for the next generation, Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) CEO Willy Mutai insisted on the need to demonstrate to the young generation that there is a space for them at every step of the value chain, noting the future of tea belongs to the youth.