“We continue to offer every support required of the KTDA and the Board to ensure the Tea Sub-sector remains stable. To this end, I wish to state categorically that the government has no issues at all with the leadership of the KTDA and its Board” – DP GACHAGUA
A day after President Ruto asked his deputy Rigathi Gachagua to crash cartels in tea, coffee and milk sectors, the DP has hit the ground running.
DP Gachagua held a top level meeting with the KTDA board and management where they discussed strategies of eliminating cartels.
The meeting at his Harambee House Annex, office was attended by KTDA Board led by the Chairman David Muni Ichoho and the Group MD and CEO Mr. Wilson Muthaura on improving earnings for small-scale farmers.
Gachagua said they discussed and agreed on a strategy of ensuring the small-scale tea farmer reaps more benefits from the cash crop especially by eliminating cartels.
He said they have also created a caucus to guide on how best to unchain the small-holder tea farmer from the grip of cartels.
Gachagua said spearheading the reforms in the tea, coffee and milk subsectors has commenced in earnest, as directed by President Ruto.
He asked the Board to act with speed to ensure the reforms in the subsector are not derailed.
Gachagua said middlemen and unscrupulous people in the value chain at the detriment of the farmer will be eliminated.
“Over and above that, the government will endavour to address any legal, market, and other challenges in the face of reforms that the board has raised,” he said.
He said he had registered his appreciation for the reforms taking place in the subsector, but cautioned that there is still alot of work to be done.
