On May 25, 2022, in Embu, Kenya, the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) launched a diversification push to cushion its farmers from the effects of climate change.
KTDA's General Manager for Sustainable Agriculture, Salesio Kaberia, said the agency was encouraging farmers to move from traditional cutting, tearing, and curling (CTC) tea to higher-value specialty teas.
As part of the diversification efforts, KTDA is introducing other farming activities to boost farmers' incomes, including growing Hass avocados for export and promoting dairy production as a supplementary income stream.
The agency is working with the Rainforests Alliance and county governments to implement the Mt Kenya Sustainable Landscape and Livelihoods Project, which aims to train 50,000 tea and coffee farmers in climate-smart agriculture practices.
These practices will also lead to the conservation of water and biodiversity in the Mt Kenya water tower.
KTDA has already achieved a 20 per cent reduction in wood fuel consumption at its factories through the introduction of co-firing, a process that uses alternative biomass fuels in boilers.
According to Kaberia, tea earnings have been on a downward trend due to climate change, and the agency is helping farmers to introduce more resilient, higher-yielding tea clones in place of older varieties.
KTDA is also exploring ways to attract more youths into the tea business.
