Board urges farmers to focus on tea quality to boost earnings

Reuben Tanui's tea farm in Ainamoi, Kericho county. [File, Standard]

Tea farmers should focus more on quality rather than quantity to enjoy higher bonuses, the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) has said.

The board has launched a campaign to encourage smallholder farmers in West of the Rift Valley region to prioritise picking quality tea leaves to increase their earnings.

TBK Chief Executive Officer Willy Mutai advised farmers to focus on harvesting two leaves and a bud to earn higher bonuses.

Speaking at Toror Tea Factory in Ainamoi constituency, Mutai emphasized that the difference in bonus payments between regions is directly linked to the quality of tea harvested.

While Momul Tea Factory, located West of the Rift, paid its farmers Sh50.30 per kilogram in bonuses-the highest in the region-Imenti Tea Factory East of the Rift region paid a higher bonus of Sh60.30 per kilogram.

"We are advocating for farmers in the region to pursue serious leaf quality plucking. By focusing on picking two leaves and a bud, farmers can significantly increase their earnings from tea production," said Mutai.

The TBK boss also urged independent tea factories operating in the region to adhere to strict quality standards by purchasing only high-quality tea leaves, rather than accepting substandard leaves, known locally as "mangerito" (more than two leaves and a bud).

"Independent tea factories that are misusing their licenses by lowering set standards are under scrutiny, and we will soon take action to ensure compliance," Mutai added.

He also addressed farmers concerns on accuracy of weighing scales used by some factory clerks.

Mutai assured farmers that the board, in collaboration with the Weights and Measures Department, would certify all weighing equipment used by tea factories to ensure transparency and fairness.

Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Rono echoed TBK's call for action, directing the board to address rogue independent tea factories that compromise quality standards by purchasing lower-grade tea leaves.

"We cannot have two sets of standards for factories run by Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) and independent factories. The law on quality tea leaves applies to all factories. Those independent factories that do not comply with the law will be shut down," said Rono.

The PS also told TBK to develop a scientific method for tea tasting to determine the quality of tea produced by factories across KTDA regions and sold at the Mombasa auction.

"We recently conducted blind tea tasting at the Mombasa auction, and the results were surprising. It emerged that tea tasters, who determine the quality by sipping it, are biased towards certain regions, even though their tea is not necessarily the best," said Rono.

Ainamoi MP Benjamin Langat echoed the PS's sentiments saying that the tea-tasting method of sipping, which has cost farmers in Kericho and KTDA's West of the Rift lower bonuses than they deserve.

"There's no way factories in KTDA's East of the Rift can consistently produce tea with quality that is two or more times higher than those in the West of the Rift. We demand a scientific method for determining tea quality," he said.