Browsing: Tea Farming in Kenya

Kenya moves to save its dwindling tea fortunes

If there is anything that has put Kenya on the global map, then it is her teas. While the country has been forced to compete with Ethiopia and Uganda for crown coffee, South Africa and Tanzania for game safaris and Rwanda and Nigeria for ICT start-ups, it has easily overcome competition for its black tea.

During the year 2019, a total of 497 million kilograms of tea were exported, 23 million kilograms higher than the 474 million kilograms exported in 2018.  During the period, the tea sector contributed Ksh117 billion exports and Ksh22 billion in local sales towards the country's GDP. Kenyan tea competes with tourism, diaspora remittance and horticulture as the highest foreign exchange earner.

The sector also supports the livelihood of over five million Kenyans with approximately 70% of tea production in the country undertaken by small scale tea farmers.

However, the black gold has been on a