Kagwe: State to ensure better tea returns

Agriculture and Livestock Development CS Mutahi Kagwe has said the government is implementing a raft of reforms to ensure better returns for tea farmers across the country.

On Wednesday, Kagwe appeared before the Senate plenary to answer questions on tea quality among other issues.

The CS said the government is committed to undertaking periodic monitoring of the implementation of the management agreements by the Tea Factories and the Management Agent.

According to CS Kagwe, the state is committed to curbing tea hawking malpractices which lead to the processing of low quality tea leaves.

This, he said, will be achieved by enforcing the Tea (Registration and Licensing) regulation, 2025 (Annex 1).

Kagwe further said the ministry will gazette the green leaf quality standard guidelines to curb the harvesting and processing of low-quality tea.

He said the state will gazette the Tea Regulations to operationalise the Tea Act, 2020.

“We will be working with both houses of parliament to make necessary amendments to the Tea Act, 2020 to address all challenges facing the sub-sector and supporting value addition of Kenya tea by funding of two (2) value addition hubs in KETEPA (Kericho and Nairobi) to enhance value addition,” CS Kagwe said.

He said the ministry will also undertake Capacity building of tea factories to manufacture specialty teas including orthodox based on the market requirements to enhance diversification.

According to the CS, the government will support the smallholder tea factories in the establishment of more Orthodox tea manufacturing lines.

He said there will be facilitation for the allocation of land for the establishment of a Common User Facility (CUF) at Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and facilitate Joint Ventures and PPP in value addition of tea within the SEZs.

He added that the ministry will establish tea a tasting Centre in Mombasa, saying the sourcing of equipment is ongoing to ascertain the quality of tea.

“Establishing and enforcing guidelines on green leaf quality standards to address the declining quality of Kenya tea and export coaching on packaging and branding targeting MSMES along the value chain and continuous sensitization on market requirements, market linkages to the exporters and undertaking promotion activities,” the CS said.

Kagwe said the government will market access of Kenya tea by undertaking trade missions and promotion activities in the global markets (traditional and emerging markets).