THE STANDARD
NEWS
Monica Oluoch (left) will represent tea farmers at Nyansiongo Tea Factory. [Stanley Ongwae, Standard]
The newly-elected Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) directors under the tea reforms reported to their various factories on Monday to cold receptions as senior officials were conspicuously missing.
All the six factories in Nyamira County held their elections on April 3, 2021, according to the government’s directive. The immediate officeholders were not allowed to vie, according to the reforms introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture.
A spot check across the county revealed that armed police officers patrolled various tea factories to counter any resistance.
THE STANDARD
BUSINESS NEWS
Police officers keep vigil as DCI raids Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) headquarters in Nairobi. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]
NAIROBI, KENYA: The Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) says some of its operations have been crippled following a recent raid at its head office in Nairobi.
In a statement, the agency said the events commencing on April 16 disrupted the green leaf payment to farmers, procurement of fertiliser, and payment to suppliers and employees salaries.
“Our initial review of what transpired reveals that payment records of 620,000 farmers, shareholders registers, title deeds, computers servers and hard disks were unlawfully retrieved,” says the agency in a newspaper advertisement.
KTDA unable to pay farmers, buy fertiliser after recent raid standardmedia.co.ke - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from standardmedia.co.ke Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
FARMKENYA INITIATIVE
News
By Boniface Gikandi | March 8th 2021 at 09:00:00 GMT +0300
A tea farmer affiliated to Gathuthi Tea Factory after delivering his produce at Ndugamano Tea Buying Collection Centre. Farmers earnings are set to increase following the review of their monthly payments. [Kibata Kihu, Standard]
Tea farmers affiliated to Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) in the Mt Kenya region will get a payout of Sh21 per kilogramme of green leaf up from Sh16 that has been paid in the last three years.
Already factories in the east of Rift Valley have informed their growers of the new amount following the government directive that they get 50 per cent of their earnings on a monthly basis.
THE STANDARD By
Macharia Kamau |
February 25th 2021 at 09:48:46 GMT +0300
Ann Wairimu delivers green tea leaves at Mukarara Tea Buying Centre (PHOTO: Kibata Kihu)
Kenya’s earnings from tea exports grew marginally last year on account of higher volumes despite the harsh impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy.
New data from the Tea Directorate shows earnings reached Sh120 billion in the 12 months to December 2020 compared to Sh119 billion in 2019. The sector remained a key foreign exchange earner for the country last year after the tourism sector suffered a major hit from the coronavirus pandemic, with many of the operators being forced to lay off workers or close down altogether.