Tea market achieves Sh1.1 billion in the weekly auction

One of the tea farms in Mathioya, Murang'a. [Boniface Gikandi, Standard]

The tea market fetched Sh1.1 billion last week after the sale of 4,248,122 kg at the Mombasa Tea Auction.

In the weekly market, Mununga, Gacharage, Imenti, Gathuthi, Ndima, Kathangariri, Kimunye, and Rukuriri achieved the best prices of between Sh336 and Sh319 per kg.

In the market analysis, the smallholder factories that offered the highest volumes at the auction are Kinoro (175,504 kgs), Gathuthi (100,840 kgs), Kimunye (104,760 kgs), Ngere (126,800 kgs), Makomboki (128,553 kgs), Chinga (108,706 kgs), and Kanyenya-ini (119,472 kgs).

In the west of the rift region, Tea Brokers East Africa Limited (TBEAL) Momul factory continued taking the lead after it offered 102,896 kg bought at Sh245 per kg, followed by Kapkatet at 49,916 kg after Sh234 per kg.

KTDA Board member for Embu Mr Enos Njeru said the tea farmers are educated on quality tea during the field days.

“The smallholder factories dominated the auction through offering their produce,” said Njeru, lauding farmers at Kathangariri and Rukuriri for the best price at the auction.

In the buyers category, 51 companies participated, with Global Tea leading with 22,919 packages, Mitchell Cotts 14,980 packages, LAB International 14,860 packages, Chai Trading 12,620 packages, and Mombasa Coffee 9,120 packages, among others.

“Kenya offered 7,504,056 kgs sourced from the KTDA factories and independent factories, Uganda 856,652 kgs, Rwanda 540,032 kgs, and Burundi 65,842 kgs,” reads the report.

In summary, 127,933 packages were sold, with 22,281 packages labelled unsold.  In last week’s auction the market offered 9,481,713 kg, where Kenya offered 8,097,293 kg.

Tea value chain expert Peter Karomo said following increased rains in the highlands, the production of green leaf has been on the rise in the past two months.

“The buyers are interested in quality tea, thus the producers concentrate on plucking the best quality for the international market, thus increasing returns to the farmers,” said Karomo.