This archive report was first published on 19 November 2019.
Kenya, the world's leading exporter of black tea, has seen its tea production fall by 8.5% in the first nine months of 2019, a report by the Tea Directorate reveals.
The decline, which is attributed to dry weather conditions, has resulted in a glut in the market, pushing prices to their lowest levels in over five years. The average price of tea at the weekly auction in Mombasa slid to $2.19 per kg during the nine-month period, from $2.65 in the same period last year.
According to the Tea Directorate, total exports edged down to 37.25 million kilogrammes from 37.49 million a year before.
As the country's top foreign exchange earner, alongside tourism, flower exports, and remittances from the diaspora, the tea industry is facing a crisis. Officials in the industry say producers are struggling to cope with the low prices.
Published on November 19, 2019, 5:14 PM EAT by Reuters.
