- Tea stakeholders call for stronger partnerships to transform the sector
- Kagwe urges measures to boost value addition and continental tea trade
- KTDA pushes collaboration on markets, technology and climate resilience
Kenya’s tea stakeholders have called for stronger partnerships to fast-track the sector’s transformation for 700,000 farmers.
Key officials said most of the tea in the market is produced by small-scale farmers whose livelihoods depend entirely on the crop.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe and KTDA National Chairman Enos Njeru observed that improving tea quality requires strategic partnerships designed to take the tea value chain to a higher level.
They spoke during the opening of the 7th Africa Tea Convention 2026 in Nairobi on Tuesday, which also coincided with the 70th anniversary of the East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) and was attended by 800 delegates from 26 nations.
Kagwe said millions of livelihoods, including those of people who do not directly grow tea, are connected to the sector, making the prosperity of tea-growing communities critical to the wider economy.
“There is a dire need to transform the tea industry into a more competitive, farmer-centred and value-driven sector, thus a fundamental shift in how Africa produces, markets and benefits from its tea,” the CS said.
On continental trade, Kagwe called for renewed efforts to strengthen the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), saying Africa must remove barriers that prevent goods from moving efficiently across borders and build a larger continental market for African products, including tea.
“Countries should reconsider heavy tariffs and taxation on value-added agricultural products, as the value-added tea should be zero-rated to encourage processing, manufacturing, investment and job creation within Africa,” he observed.
Njeru called for strategic partnership on promoting value addition, technology, climate resilience, financing, logistics, market development, consumer branding, research and innovation.
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He said the strategic partnership will facilitate adding value to tea, developing new products, reaching new consumers, entering new markets, strengthening capabilities and building sustainable commercial opportunities for farmers.
“The forum convened by the East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) in Kenya is crucial, where players in the sector drawn from various fields interact with local farmers,” Njeru said.
Pakistani tea buyer Nadeem Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of Global Tea Commodities, called on Africa to redouble its tea intake, pointing out that insecurity in Sudan, Congo and Nigeria has blocked access to the market despite existing demand for the commodity.
He said Africa needs to realise the existing demand for tea and ensure all markets remain accessible.
Ahmed cautioned that CTC tea has failed to attract the market, leaving the majority unsellable.
“The factories should venture into the production of orthodox tea that attracts new markets,” Ahmed said.
By our correspondent
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