Governor links poor tea prices to levies

NANDI, KENYA: Nandi Governor has blamed poor returns on tea to high cost of production and levies imposed in the process of marketing.
Cleophas Lagat said farmers are frustrated because of low earnings from tea, which he said is a result of excessive taxes.
"There are a lot of taxes in the tea sector from processing to marketing and farmers have over the years realized dwindling profits. This has demoralised farmers from expanding the sector," said the governor.
Speaking at Mogoon, in Nandi Hills constituency where Deputy President (DP) presided over a funds drive for nine Churches on Sunday, Governor Lagat urged the government to address the tea industry and reduce unnecessary levies and support farmers through value addition.
Lagat said the County Government, through its investment board chaired by businessman Mr David Langat are identifying potential investors who will work with local farmers to venture into value addition and marketing of produce from the source.
"With the investment board, we are soon meeting the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Willy Bett to address value addition for tea products in Nandi so that it can be processed, packaged and exported directly," said the Governor.
Farmers in Nandi County, the third leading producer of the cash crop after Bomet and Kericho, have also been complaining of low bonuses as compared to their counterparts in Central Kenya region.