Business

By Boniface Gikandi | Oct. 06, 2024

There is anxiety in tea-growing counties with farmers awaiting the release of their bonus payment alongside the September green leaf payment.

The farmers are awaiting the bonus for their 1.41 billion kilos (Kgs) of green leaf delivered to the 54 tea factories between July 1, last year and June 30 this year.

There is anxiety in tea-growing counties with growers awaiting the release of their bonus payment alongside the September green leaf payment.

The farmers are awaiting the bonus for their 1.41 billion kilos (Kgs) of green leaf delivered to the 54 tea factories between July 1, last year and June 30 this year.

The growers earned Sh88.52 billion in the year, up from the previous Sh70.42 billion reflecting an increase of Sh18.1 billion.

In the year under review, the Kapkoros Factory and its three satellite factories produced 120.15 million kgs and ranked the highest producer among the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) managed facilities. 

Mogogosiek Factory with its satellite factories - Kobel and Boito ranked second in production  after processing 76.18 million kilos. Kapsara Factory produced 11.12 million kgs of green leaf and ranked the least in the production.

Amos Mwangi, a farmer managing five acres of land under tea in Murang’a said businesspersons are stocking their premises with goodies ahead of the remittance of bonuses into farmers’ bank accounts.

Mwangi says traders have stocked shops with goods in anticipation of huge earnings by farmers. “In Kigumo and Kandara constituencies, shops have been stocked with recent designs of clothes with hardware flooded with building materials,” said Mwangi.

Peter Karomo, an expert in the tea value chain said farmers are waiting for the bonus payment and those who produce quality green leaves will get the best payment.

Karomo noted that growers at the Gacharage Tea Factory will be paid at the rate of Sh62.80 per kg for the green leaf they produce in the year.

“It is expected that in the year 2024/2025, tea quality will be impressive based on the education being taken in the regions through the cooperation between KTDA, Ministry of Agriculture and Tea Board of Kenya (TBK),” said Karomo. KTDA Holdings Chairman Enos Njeru said they have engaged agriculture extension officers, KTDA management staff and directors who will work collectively towards improving tea quality.