Principal Secretary for Agriculture, Dr Kiprono Rono and Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Mr. Stephen Isaboke, EBS, have engaged the Board of Directors of Nyamache Tea Factory on measures to address challenges facing tea farmers and strengthen the tea value chain in Kisii County.
The engagement forms part of the Government’s Whole-of-Government, Whole-of-Society approach, which seeks to bring together different Government state departments, agencies and stakeholders to address issues affecting citizens and improve service delivery.
Tea remains an important economic activity in Kisii County, supporting thousands of households and contributing significantly to the local economy. The discussions focused on measures to improve farmers’ earnings through value addition, innovation, digitalisation, direct marketing and reduction of production costs.
PS Isaboke underscored the importance of the tea sector to families in the region, noting that many households have historically relied on income from tea farming.
“Many of us from Kisii grew up on proceeds from the sale of tea and so as leaders from the region, who truly understand what these tea farms mean to our people, we must find solutions for our farmers,” said PS Isaboke. He further urged the Board of Directors to engage periodically with farmers, listen to them and come up with solutions together.
He welcomed the initiative by the Nyamache Tea Factory Board, which represents the interests of farmers, to engage Government on interventions aimed at revitalising the sector and improving returns to growers.
Among the challenges discussed were old tea bushes, ageing factory equipment and the high cost of production. The meeting noted the need for interventions that can improve productivity while lowering the cost of production for farmers.
The factory is also exploring opportunities to increase earnings through value addition, including the production of Orthodox Tea. The specialty tea commands higher prices in the market, with Orthodox Tea fetching about US$5 per kilogram, presenting an opportunity for the factory and farmers to capture greater value from their produce.
The discussions also explored the digitalisation of factory processes and marketing as part of efforts to improve operational efficiency, expand market access and enhance the competitiveness of the tea value chain.
On his part, PS Dr Rono welcomed H.E. President Dr. William Ruto’s directive allowing tea factories to sell their produce directly, noting that the move has the potential to improve farmers’ earnings by providing greater access to markets and reducing reliance on traditional marketing channels.
“The fertiliser that tea farmers use will also be KSh 2,500, just like the fertiliser for other farmers,” added Dr. Rono.
The measure is expected to help reduce production costs for tea farmers while enabling them to invest more in maintaining and improving their farms.
The meeting further highlighted the need to modernise factory equipment, promote value addition and adopt innovative approaches across the tea value chain to increase productivity and strengthen the competitiveness of Kenyan tea.
