Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) will install ten orthodox tea processing lines to boost farmers’ incomes through the diversification program.
Making the announcements on Monday when he visited three factories in Murang’a County, Munya said KTDA had agreed to install the 10 processing plants in 10 factories.
Munya has been on a tour of tea factories in the Mt Kenya region to assess milestones in the implementation of Tea act 2020 reforms.
He said in order to give tea farmers more money in their pockets, boost production and as a way of diversification, he had encouraged KTDA to diversify to Orthodox teas whose returns are much higher than the traditional tea.
“To this end we have agreed KTDA will install 10 orthodox processing lines across 10 factories in tea growing regions,” he said.
Munya also announced that tea will now be transported to Mombasa auction market through the SGR so as to reduce costs of transportation and in the process increase farmers’ earnings.
“To reduce the cost of tea transportation to the auction market, my ministry is in talks with The Kenya Railways to transport tea from Naivasha to Mombasa via the SGR,” he said.
Munya told farmers that tea reforms are bearing fruits and that the prices are on an upward trajectory and urged them to continue with their hard work.
Sweeping tea reforms have seen a major shake-up in the management of KTDA including the hiring of a new group CEO Muthaura last week.
During the extensive tour, Munya also met with Mwea Rice Growers Multipurpose Cooperative Society, to check the progress of the Government’s rice buying program and assured the rice farmers that the government will continue buying their rice at Kshs 85 per Kg.
