Murang’a farmers sold tea worth Sh310 million in the weekly sale at the Mombasa auction after offering 593,776kgs of green leaf.
This was out of the 6,252,696 presented for sale at the auction from Kenyan farmers and which was worth Sh2.3 billion, averaging $203 per 50kg package.
Gacharage tea factory sold its tea at the highest price of $303 per 50kg package and presented 23,456kg for sale that raked in Sh18 million followed by Ngere tea factory that sold 52,920kg at $295 per 50kg package, earning Sh40 million.
Ikumbi tea factory presented the highest amount of coffee with 99,064kg and made Sh68 million followed by Githambo with 94,528kg worth Sh64 million and Kiru with 76,596kg that earned Sh52 million.
Farmers from Gatunguru tea factory earned Sh49 million after offering 70,818kgs while Makomboki sold tea worth Sh46 million, Kanyenya-ini Sh28 million, Nduti Sh46 million and Njunu Sh42 million.
Murang’a county is the highest producer of tea in the country with 10 small-holder tea factories managed by Kenya Tea Development Agency and raked in Sh17.8 billion from the crop last year.
In the same sale, tea presented from Rwanda earned the highest amount of money, with each 50 kg package earning $304, with 6,360 packages offered for sale.
Uganda offered 15,602 packages at $95 each while Tanzania offered the lowest amount with 20 packages that raked in $112 each.
Buyers from Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Russia and South Sudan participated in the auction while Sudan abstained.
The produce has, however, been adversely affected by climate change, with 222,199,145 kilogrammes presented from the beginning of the year, a reduction of 19,322,184 kilogrammes from the 241,518,329 kilogrammes sold in the same period last year.
In April, the country exported 33.91 million kilogrammes against a production of 51.78 million kilogrammes by growers across the country.
The decline in tea exports was attributed to conflicts being experienced in some of the country’s key tea markets.
A report by Tea Brokers East Africa Limited indicated that the tea was exported to 54 countries, with Pakistan buying 17,057,496kgs, a reduction from the 21,641,140kgs it bought in April last year.
Egypt purchased 5,115,058 kg, the UK 2,881,802 kg, the UAE 2,529,220 kg, Oman 2,110,098 kg, and Russia 1,874,616 kg.
On the other hands, Jordan bought 1,553,750kgs, Iran 1,328,295kgs, Sudan 1,328,131kgs, and Kazakhstan 1,229,549kgs.
Tea Board of Kenya CEO Willy Mutai however noted that sales to Oman, Jordan, Sudan, India, China and Germany increased compared to the same month last year.
by ALICE WAITHERA
