Governors from the tea-growing areas have committed to supporting the national government in implementing the tea sector reforms.
Speaking during a national tea summit in Kericho, Governor Eric Mutai and his Nandi counterpart Stephen Sang said as counties they are ready to put into operation the outcomes of the meeting for a turnaround in two to three years.
“In this summit, we will shoot straight in the face to cure the issues for the farmer to be put first,” Sang said.
Mutai said the decision by President William Ruto and his Rigathi Gachagua to reform the tea subsector is fundamental and timely as tea is the mainstay of their people.
He said solutions have to be found to establish why farmers get less than Sh20 per kilo when the broker gets tenfold.
He added:
“We also want to know why the farmer is uprooting their tea bushes. It is unacceptable for the farmer to get peanuts, which, are also eaten up by the expensive farm inputs”.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi said they are meeting to reflect on the best reforms in the cash crop to ensure farmers’ earnings are boosted.
Kenya, he said, produces one of the best teas globally but cannot attract good prices for the farmer.
“We must come up with ideas to take advantage of our tea to maximise earnings by setting minimum prices at international markets,” he said.
He added that the government will continue to support farmers to access subsidised fertiliser to lower the cost of production.
“We must increase our prices and stabilise earnings to put a smile on the face of the tea farmer,” he added.
The conference according to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is aimed at seeking solutions to the challenges facing small-scale tea farmers.
Elected leaders from the tea growing zones, farmer representatives and government agencies among those in the private sector and production chain attended.
The DP said proposals given by the farmers will be fully implemented giving an undertaking it shall be made into law.
“The President and I will ensure the cabinet secretaries responsible will deliver 100 percent compliance to the reforms as part of our bottom-up transformational agenda,” he said.
Ainamoi MP Benjamin Lang'at on his part called for the review of the auction and even set up a regional auction.
Farmers who spoke during the meeting argued that the suspension of some sections of the Tea Act by the Judiciary has impeded the implementation of the law in favour of the farmer.
The DP said proposals given by the farmers will be fully implemented giving an undertaking it shall be made into law.
“The President and I will ensure the cabinet secretaries responsible will deliver 100 percent compliance to the reforms as part of our bottom-up transformational agenda,” he said.
Ainamoi MP Benjamin Lang'at on his part called for the review of the auction and even set up a regional auction.
Farmers who spoke during the meeting argued that the suspension of some sections of the Tea Act by the Judiciary has impeded the implementation of the law in favour of the farmer.