Linturi urges factories to prioritise processing Orthodox tea

Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi has urged factories in the country to embrace processing of Orthodox tea due to its huge returns compared to ordinary tea.

Orthodox tea is produced using the traditional methods of production which include plucking, withering , rolling, oxidation and drying.

Orthodox teas are generally bright and brisk and have a multilayered flavour profile. 

Linturi said the future of tea farming is in Orthodox tea.

"In the world market, Orthodox tea is more marketable and profitable than the normal and I'm urging more factories to embrace it," he said.

Linturi said the government is keen on tea reforms including introducing the Tea Act of 2020, whose full implemnattion has unfortunately been delayed because of court cases.

"We have engaged with the directors who went to court and they have agreed that in the interest of farmers, we conduct elections in June 28 this year," Linturi said.

He spoke on Saturday at Githongo Tea Factory, South Imenti constituency in Meru county.

Linturi said the government of Kenya has no preferred candidates in the coming elections where farmers will elect leaders who will lead factories across the country.

He said the elections will be free and fair and will be conducted by IEBC.

"I'm happy that for the first time we will have the poll body conducting the elections," Linturi said.

He said that days of forcing and coercing tea factory managers and other officials on farmers are long gone.

Meanwhile, the CS revealed that the price of Macadamia has increased from between Sh40 and Sh50 to between Sh110 and Sh120 in the last one year.

He said the price of milk has also increased from Sh40 to Sh60 per litre.

Linturi urged coffee farmers to utilise the Sh6 billion allocated by the government to help farmers acquire loans.

Linturi said they will safeguard the branding of Kenya tea to maximise on profits.

"When you go to European nations you find Kenya tea being served but it is labeled English tea," Linturi said.

Central Imenti MP, Moses Kirima, urged the Agriculture CS to bring fertiliser to tea factories so that farmers can easily access it.

Kirima said Sh25 shillings per kilo for tea is very little.

"We should continue looking for other markets in Europe and America so that we can increase the price," Kirima said.

He said tea factories should be assisted to get hydro power to minimise the cost of production.

Kirima said tea factories across the country should embrace processing of  Orthodox tea that is more profitable.