- Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe has ordered tea factories to reject poor quality green leaf that does not meet the two leaves and a bud standard.
- The government has allocated Ksh 7.1 billion to modernise tea factories, with Ksh 44.6 million going to Kapsara Tea Factory for a new withering plant.
- Kagwe said improving leaf quality, value addition and market diversification will help raise Kenyan tea prices and increase farmer earnings.
Agriculture and Livestock Development CS Mutahi Kagwe has directed tea factories across Kenya to reject green leaf that falls short of the “two leaves and a bud” standard, warning that the government’s Ksh 7.1 billion tea factory modernisation programme must be matched by improved leaf quality.
Speaking during a visit to Kapsara Tea Factory in Trans Nzoia County, CS Kagwe said Kenya cannot upgrade its factories while continuing to process substandard green leaf, because such leaf attracts lower prices in international markets.
The CS said the Government’s strategy is to build a new cycle of growth anchored on modern factories, better quality green leaf, higher value orthodox and specialty teas, stronger value addition, and diversification into new international markets.
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To illustrate the difference between acceptable and unacceptable green leaf, CS Kagwe displayed samples of tea plucks at the factory. He warned that mixing poor quality leaf with quality leaf lowers the value of an entire factory’s output and ultimately cuts farmer earnings.
“If we have agreed that quality tea is two leaves and a bud, then that is what must come to the factory. We cannot have farmers who are doing the right thing being punished because a few others bring poor quality leaf which is then processed together with theirs,” CS Kagwe said.
He stressed that the goal is not to punish farmers but to build a quality culture that raises the international value of Kenyan tea and boosts farmers’ earnings and annual bonuses. As an example, he cited Momul Tea Factory, which raised the value of its tea from about US$2 to more than US$3 per kilogramme after improving green leaf quality. He said the conversation about quality should ultimately be measured in terms of money reaching farmer.
CS Kagwe said the modernisation programme will replace ageing machinery, improve energy efficiency, reduce processing costs, and strengthen the production of higher value tea products.
At Kapsara, the Ksh 44.6 million allocation will finance a new withering plant to replace ageing equipment that consumes large amounts of electricity. He cautioned that modern machinery alone cannot compensate for poor quality raw material.
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The CS also called for aggressive market diversification, saying Kenya must strengthen its traditional markets while pursuing new buyers, particularly as factories increase production of orthodox, specialty and value added teas.
CS Kagwe challenged politicians opposed to the tea levy to stop politicising the sector, insisting that the levy is paid by buyers rather than by farmers or factories. He said funds raised through the levy will support price stabilisation, tea research, infrastructure, marketing, quality improvement, value addition and the development of new markets, while strengthening the global identity of Kenyan tea.
CS Kagwe further directed Kapsara Tea Factory management to ensure the Ksh 44.6 million allocation is used strictly for its intended purpose. He added that farmer training and extension services would continue to support the government’s quality improvement drive.
By Benedict Aoya
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