Tea growers and leaders in Gatundu South are urging the government and stakeholders to prioritize value addition to boost earnings from the tea sector.
Gabriel Kagombe, recently re-elected as a Director for Ndarugu Tea Factory for another three years, emphasized the potential for Kenyan tea to lead globally in consumption, rivaling countries like China and Sri Lanka. He highlighted recent government reforms that have already improved farmers’ earnings by closing loopholes exploited by cartels.
Currently, Kagombe noted, most Kenyan tea is sold in bulk at the Mombasa auction. He stressed the need for government investment in value addition to enhance the competitiveness of Kenyan tea in international markets, pointing out initiatives such as the production of orthodox tea by smallholder factories.
Kagombe specifically mentioned the upcoming orthodox tea production line at Ndarugu Tea Factory, set to commence operations in January next year, as a step towards capturing higher prices in global markets.
