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Man vs machine: Mechanised tea pluckers remain a thorny issue

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A tea-plucking machine at James Finlays tea estate in Kericho County. One machine can pluck 400 kilogrammes of tea a day. [File, Standard]

Debate on the use of tea-picking machines continues to rage years after they were introduced in Kenya.

In the recent past, several leaders in Kericho, Nandi and Bomet counties, the major tea producers, have openly opposed mechanisation of the sector, saying it has led to job losses.

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