Tea yield jumps up 7.5 per cent

Tea production in the eight months through August went up 7.5 per cent to reach 278 million Kilos on the backdrop of good weather conditions in most parts of the country.

Releasing the new data on Tuesday, Tea Board of Kenya acting chief executive officer Zakayo Magara said the country experienced a relatively good weather in the eight months triggering higher production, compared to the 214.4 million kilos in 2012.

“Unprecedented increase in supply was witnessed in the first eight months of 2013. High production can be attributed to good weather both in Kenya and Asian countries which led to high supply in the global markets,” Mr Magara.

He said oversupply in the global markets coupled with over-stocking by buyers in the run-up to the March 4 general election had a negative effect on the international tea prices.
“Tea prices were also affected by political upheavals in Egypt which remains a key market for Kenyan tea,” Mr Magara said.

Local consumption also went up in the period under review as a result of what TBK termed as enhanced promotion.

Kenyans consumed a total of 15.71 million kilos of tea in the period, up from 12.39 million kilos in the same period last year.