Kenya Acts to Lift Tea Prices as Unsold Stock Piles Up.
The Kenyan government met with tea leaders on Friday in Kisumu to fix low tea prices and deal with large amounts of unsold tea. Tea factory chiefs, buyers, and market experts attended the talks.
Tea stores in Mombasa hold about 100 million kilos of unsold tea from last year. The government dropped the lowest price rule in August, hoping this would make buyers want the tea again. The rule had set tea prices at 313 shillings for each kilo since 2021 to help farmers earn more.
Farm chief Paul Ronoh led the meeting. He asked all tea places to tell him how much tea they had not sold. They must share this news in seven days.
The new rules say tea places must not sell tea for less than what it costs to make it. Factory heads will run their sales. They must make better tea and talk to sellers about fair prices.
The government plans to cut taxes on tea, which might help tea makers add more value to their tea. The government will also give money to old tea places that need help.
Tea buyers said they want farmers to earn more for their tea. A special team of 15 people, led by Nicholas Munyi, will investigate why tea sits unsold.
These experts will find out why some farmers wait long for money, check tea storage costs, and determine how long tea can last. The team also wants to know why tea from different parts of Kenya sells for very different prices.
The team will talk to tea farmers and sellers across Kenya. They hope to fix these problems and make tea farming better for everyone.
The Kenyan government met with tea leaders on Friday in Kisumu to fix low tea prices and deal with large amounts of unsold tea. Tea factory chiefs, buyers, and market experts attended the talks.
Tea stores in Mombasa hold about 100 million kilos of unsold tea from last year. The government dropped the lowest price rule in August, hoping this would make buyers want the tea again. The rule had set tea prices at 313 shillings for each kilo since 2021 to help farmers earn more.
Farm chief Paul Ronoh led the meeting. He asked all tea places to tell him how much tea they had not sold. They must share this news in seven days.
The new rules say tea places must not sell tea for less than what it costs to make it. Factory heads will run their sales. They must make better tea and talk to sellers about fair prices.
The government plans to cut taxes on tea, which might help tea makers add more value to their tea. The government will also give money to old tea places that need help.
Tea buyers said they want farmers to earn more for their tea. A special team of 15 people, led by Nicholas Munyi, will investigate why tea sits unsold.
These experts will find out why some farmers wait long for money, check tea storage costs, and determine how long tea can last. The team also wants to know why tea from different parts of Kenya sells for very different prices.
The team will talk to tea farmers and sellers across Kenya. They hope to fix these problems and make tea farming better for everyone.
