- Gov’t says reforms are underway to tackle high taxes, poor roads, pests, diseases and price volatility affecting tea farmers, while urging continued production.
- Mudavadi says Mudete Tea Factory serves about 12,000 farmers and has transformed livelihoods, as leaders call for more factories, lower taxes and better rural roads.
- KTDA has procured 99,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser for August delivery and set new transport charges of Ksh15 to Ksh17.79 per tonne per kilometre for member factories.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has assured tea farmers that the government is implementing reforms to address long standing challenges affecting the sector, even as the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) finalises logistics for delivering fertiliser to member factories ahead of next month’s supplies.
Speaking during a development tour of Western Kenya, where he visited Mudete Tea Factory in Vihiga County, Mudavadi said issues affecting tea farmers, including high taxation, poor road infrastructure, fluctuating global prices, pests and diseases, were receiving attention through the Ministry of Agriculture.
He maintained that while policy related concerns remain, they can be resolved through the appropriate government channels without disrupting production.
“Policy related issues are there and we can resolve,” said Mudavadi. “You don’t bring down the house because the roof is leaking,” he added.
The Prime CS said the tea industry remains one of the country’s key economic pillars and called on farmers to continue cultivating the crop as the government works to improve returns and strengthen the value chain.
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Mudavadi described Mudete Tea Factory as one of the region’s most transformative investments, noting that it has improved livelihoods, created employment and diversified Western Kenya’s agricultural economy since it began operations nearly three decades ago. He said the factory currently serves about 12,000 tea farmers from Vihiga and neighbouring Kakamega counties.
“Tea remains the only crop in the region that guarantees farmers pay slips every month,” he said. “Every tea farmer earns something from their sweat.”
Mudavadi said the establishment of the factory significantly changed the fortunes of tea growers who previously transported green leaf over long distances to Chebut in neighbouring Nandi County for processing. Mudete Tea Factory was established in 1997 with financial support from the Government of Kenya and the European Investment Bank (EIB), backed by the then Agriculture Minister Simon Nyachae and the Ministry of Finance.
He noted that approximately 95 per cent of tea processed at Mudete Tea Factory is exported, while only five per cent is consumed locally, and said the government would continue investing in value addition, branding and market access to strengthen Kenya’s competitiveness in the global tea market.
“Young people should look at tea farming as a serious investment because the government has invested in technology, particularly in branding and marketing,” the Prime Cabinet Secretary said.
Board Chairman Avugana Khasiani and Factory Manager Peter Munialo called for the establishment of additional tea processing factories to serve the growing number of farmers, revealing that Mudete Tea Factory has paid out more than Ksh10.5 billion to farmers since its establishment. They also appealed to the government to reduce taxes affecting the sector, improve rural road infrastructure and strengthen trade negotiations to expand access to international markets.
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In a related move underscoring KTDA’s support to smallholder farmers, the agency has unveiled new charges for transporting fertiliser to its member factories ahead of the arrival of supplies next month. Farmers supplying KTDA managed factories will pay between Ksh15 and Ksh17.79 per tonne per kilometre to move bagged fertiliser from Nairobi to the factories.
Factories in Zone A will be charged Ksh17.79 per tonne per kilometre, inclusive of VAT, while those in Zones B and C will pay Ksh15 per tonne per kilometre. The charges follow a tendering process launched in April this year to identify transporters for the exercise.
KTDA has completed procurement of 99,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser, with the first shipment expected to arrive in August, paving the way for distribution to factories across the country.
The agency has asked successful transporters to formalise their engagement by signing contracts before the fertiliser begins arriving, and said only transporters with trucks capable of carrying at least 15 tonnes will be eligible, with vehicles required to be registered in the names of the owners or contracting companies, among other conditions.
By Jonathan Mwinzi
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