Post: KTDA to set minimum quality standards of tea to increase Kenya’s competitiveness

The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Holding Limited Small Holders Tea Farmers have been urged to pick the best tea leaves as it mulls the setting of minimum quality standards that must be attained by all KTDA teas.The move, KTDA National Chairman Enos Njeru says will enhance KTDA's competitiveness in the global market and ensure that Kenyan tea continues to be a product of choice.To reduce the volume of bulk teas stored in our warehouse, KTDA will focus on diversifying its product range.'This will not only reduce overstocking of the black CTC tea but also provide the market with a host of diverse products to meet their different tastes and preferences,' said Njeru during the opening ceremony of a four-day induction of over 300 newly elected KTDA Directors from 24 counties in Mombasa.Farmers were encouraged to pluck the best quality tea, noting that the high volume of unsold tea has been exacerbated by poor quality, hawking of tea, use of machinery, handling of tea after harvesting and the abolish ment of Direct Overseas sales (DSO) has affected the tea stocks.KTDA has increased its monthly payments to motivate farmers. KTDA also embark on sensitisation of farmers on best tea handling practices between the farm and the factory.'Farmers who concentrate on quality rather than quantity are enjoying the results of the sales of their products,' said Njeru.He dissuades farmers from disunity saying farmers from the East and West of Rift Valley are all equal and should work in a team.'We want to speak in one voice, set a minimum standard quality that will be acceptable to KTDA so that we treat all farmers equally and fairly, and sell our tea that will generate better revenue to our farmers. The difference in margins between the best and lowest farmers will not go beyond Ksh10,' stated Njeru.The Chairman further noted that favourable weather and the availability of rain have led to high production of tea.The Chairman said that plans are underway to establish a common user facility in the Industrial Area, Nairobi. The facility will help ease value addition and reduce transportation costs.On his part, Tea Board of Kenya Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Willy Mutai said 71 small-scale tea factories contribute 56 per cent of the national crop production.Last year, he noted that the sector produced 266 million kilogrammes of tea, this year's target is 319 million kilogrammes. Farmers were assured that the unsold tea will be sold.'As a government regulator we would want to urge all people who are supplying tea they should meet the leave quality standard that is two leaves and a bud or a leaf which can attract a price,' said Mutai.He revealed that they have opened up Direct Overseas Sales (DSO) and will work with KTDA to remove the DSO from the Tea Act to be in the regulation for farmers to be able to do direct sales at their respective factories.The CEO said the government will continue to put in place interventions to help the tea industry achieve its objective in line with the Bottom up-Economic Tran sformation Agenda (BETA).'This year the government has provided Sh1B to support your tea packing hub at KETEPA in modernising its equipment. It has also set aside Sh10B to support all farmers including tea farmers with subsidy fertilizers,' said the CEO.Source: Kenya News Agency