Nyamira, Chinese county ink deal to boost tea production, value addition

Nyamira Tea farmers are set to reap huge benefits after Governor Amos Nyaribo’s administration and a Chinese County signed an agreement aimed at increasing production and marketing prospects.

The agreement that was signed by the governor and Songyang County officials in China will see them collaborate in improving the quality of tea through enhanced processing and value addition.

Nyaribo said the two counties grow tea and an effective exchange on production, processing and marketing will boost farmers earnings as the local produce will be manufactured to international standards through enhanced value addition.

Nyamira county has six tea factories that cumulatively process 116 million kilogrammes of green tea annually.

Agriculture Executive Alice Manoti noted that the factories also produce an average of 29 million kilogrammes of processed tea but lack of a stable market has affected farmers earnings.

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The governor explained that the collaboration is a broader prospect for the upcoming Nyamira Integrated Agro-industrial Park whose completion is projected within the next one year.

The partnership, Nyaribo said will culminate into establishment of a value addition industry at the industrial park mainly for further processing of tea produced by Nyamira farmers.
“The Chinese are willing to partner with us in improving the quality of our tea and according to what we have agreed, the Chinese will help us set up a value addition industry for our tea and this will benefit farmers a great deal,” he said.
The Minister for Publicity from Songyang County Mr Li Wei said his government was ready to create an economically viable exchange programme that will benefit the two counties economically.

“Our counties are keen on capitalising on our capabilities in farming and industrialisation and the prospects will be beneficial for both farmers in Kenya and Songyang,” Wei said.
The Chinese delegation visited the Nyamira County headquarters office where they signed the pact with the governor before visiting select tea factories where they engaged management on best practices.

In attendance were County Executives Manoti (Agriculture), Dr Geoffrey Morara (Finance), Dr Grace Nyamongo (Gender) and County Attorney Erastus Orina, alongside crops Chief Officer Mwencha Nyasimi.