Lewis Njoka
Kenya’s efforts to produce and market speciality tea has received a major boost following the signing of an agreement between the government and two Chinese companies.
Under the agreement reached yesterday, Benny Tea and Zhengzhou Two-Straits Enterprise Management will buy up to five million kilos of speciality tea per year worth about Sh7 billion in the first three years
This is projected to rise to 30 million kilos annually worth about Sh40 billion within the next 10 years. Currently, Kenya produces about one million kilos of speciality tea annually.
Speciality tea is produced in a process different from the conventional Crush, Tear and Curl (CTC), and includes orthodox tea, green tea, and purple tea.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Mwangi Kiunjuri said the Chinese companies have guaranteed they would buy all the tea produced through the arrangement and ship it to China.
He said the two Chinese companies will provide tea manufacturing machinery and technical expertise to at least five local tea processing factories in a bid to assist them to produce products that meet the tastes and preferences of the Chinese market.
He spoke when he welcomed a delegation from China National Forest Industry Federation (Ecological Tea & Coffee Branch) and Benny Tea Company.
Under the agreement, any Kenyan tea company seeking to market its products in China will receive warehousing facilities and assistance in promoting its products from the two Chinese companies.
Kiunjuri said the companies will market Kenyan tea in exhibitions across China and allow Kenyan tea firms to share their stands free of charge.
Low price
He said the deal would favour Kenya help solve the perennial low tea price problems in the country.
Agriculture and Food Authority Interim director-general Anthony Muriithi said the Chinese team is on a visit to pursue a trade partnership with the local tea trade fraternity that would see a gradual growth of Kenyan tea sales to the Chinese market.
“This partnership is a culmination of consistent efforts in the promotion of Kenyan tea into the Chinese market which is increasingly receptive of our quality tea produce,” he added.
