by Philip Mutai

Momul Tea factory in Kericho West District is the first factory to receive the Rainforest Alliance Certification.

The certification will enable the factory, which is affiliated to the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), to sell its processed tea at a premium in the international market, and channel the increased earnings to the small-scale farmers who supply it with tea.

While receiving the certification yesterday at the factory, KTDA National Vice-Chairman, Philip Ng’etich, said the move marked a milestone for the tea industry, adding that the agency was committed to ensuring that all its factories were operating in line with acceptable international standards.

Rainforest Alliance will expect the factory to produce tea sustainably, and take an active role in environmental conservation.

"This is a clear demonstration that our factories have achieved world class standards. We must not rest because we will undergo annual audits and we will also need to reapply every three years," he added.

While presenting the certificate, Rainforest Alliance manager for East Africa and South Asia, Marc Monsarrat, said small-scale farmers would benefit from empowerment that will result in better crop husbandry.

Ng’etich noted that all KTDA factories have achieved international certifications, including the ISO 90001-2000 and the ethical Tea Partnership certification, while another 10 factories have attained Fairtrade certification.

Momul serves the small-scale holder tea sub-sector, and has a capacity to process 10 million kilogrammes of tea annually.