This archive report was first published on 23 April 2020.
Kenya's tea industry is facing a crisis of low prices in the global market, with farmers and companies demanding quality audits at tea auctions in Mombasa.
According to the tea companies and experts, Kenya produces high-quality tea that could fetch the highest earnings in the world markets, but it is being mixed with low-quality produce from other East and Central African countries, resulting in low prices.
"For many decades, Kenya has been exploited and forced to compete for international buyers with some countries which produce low-quality tea," said Siret Tea Company Director Joseph Lagat.
The tea companies have called on the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) to intervene and control the quality and pricing of locally produced tea auctioned in Mombasa for the global market.
"The Kenyan government through Kebs should move with speed to control quality and pricing of locally produced tea auctioned in Mombasa for the global market and ensure farmers and tea companies don’t suffer due to some technicalities which some of those in authority do not understand," said Mr Lagat.
The farmers have warned that unless a quick and lasting solution is put in place to stamp out further exploitation, the tea sector faces imminent collapse.
