This archive report was first published on 19 June 2020.
Published on June 19, 2020, a report by Gerald Andae highlighted the high cost of specialty teas in the market, with a kilo of white tea costing Sh7,000 and the same quantity of purple tea costing Sh2,000.
Specialty teas, including white and purple tea, are known for their antioxidant qualities, which come with several health benefits, such as fighting cancer, lowering weight, hair loss, and reducing the risk of a heart attack.
White tea is one of the specialty teas, and its 'special' nature comes from the hairy tea bushes. The pricing of this tea is higher because of the process and time involved in separating the buds from the leaves, according to Wilson Waithaka, production assistant at the Kangaita Tea Factory.
The process of making white tea involves farmers plucking the tea normally, two leaves and a bud, which is a normal procedure not only for this type but also for the rest, including the black CTC type. At the factory, workers painstakingly remove the bud and separate it from the leaves, and the buds are then sundried, a process that can take two to three days.
On the other hand, purple orthodox tea is picked from a purple bush on the farm and is rolled as a whole tea leaf into different sizes. Unlike the commonly known black CTC, which employs the crush, tear, and curl process to produce granular particles, purple tea is processed differently.
Gatanga Industries, in Muranga County, has emerged as one of the largest cottage industries that purely deals in specialty teas, including purple tea. The firm specializes in other purple tea products, although they have a range of other specialty products such as white beverages.
