Despite scandals that have been surging across the Kenyan tea industry, the country has reported an 18 percent increase in its export earnings in the first half of 2024.
This is according to a report released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) on Wednesday.
As per the report, the first half of 2024 experienced a jump in tea export earnings to Ksh102.4 billion after the sector exported a total of 320,563 metric tonnes.
In the same period ending in June 2023, Kenya reported a total of Ksh87 billion in tea export earnings amounting from an export of 270,287 metric tonnes.
This surge can be attributed highly to increased shipments to key markets in 15 foreign countries.
The Kenya Tea Board had previously reported a slowdown in the cash crop’s market mainly caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict whose region is among Kenyan tea markets.
Countries that contributed highly to the crop’s export markets are; Pakistan, Egypt, Britain, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.
However, Kenya continues to include major markets in their tea export endeavour. The newest signup is China, which recently opened a trade center where the Asian country can facilitate the distribution of the Kenyan tea to its citizens.
Other emerging Kenyan tea markets include; Chad, South Sudan, Kyrgyzstan, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Morocco, Angola and Tajikistan.
Tea has consistently held the crown of Kenya’s top earner in foreign exchange having recorded a Ksh1.4 billion earnings in 2023.
With Kenya currently experiencing a sting in the economy and the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) dealing with a series of setbacks, this news brings solace to tea farmers in the country who have experienced several challenges in the trade mostly concerning pay cuts and working conditions.
The issue is so widespread in fact, that the deputy president made it a mission to advocate for them all, something that has landed him in trouble with Kenyans from other regions who feel left out.
As it stands, DP Gachagua faces an impeachment motion for reportedly favouring the mountain region and alienating other Kenyans.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE