Tea leaf brings in millions but farmers are still unhappy
A lot of the tea produced in Kericho goes to waste during the rainy season because of bad roads.
Kericho is Kenya’s biggest tea producer, accounting for nearly a quarter of the country’s production.
Tea supports the livelihoods of more than three million people, directly and indirectly, and is the country’s leading foreign exchange earner.
This year’s tea bonus payout was one of the highest ever. Two factors, rising international prices and the falling shilling sent exporters smiling all the way to the bank.
The county got a total of Sh2.7 billion as tea bonus payments with Tegat leading the pack with Sh783 million, followed by Kapkatet with Sh747 millon; Momul managed Sh703 million while Litein received Sh557 million.
There has been an increase in green leaf production thanks to good international prices and improved husbandry.
The farmers in Region of Kenya Tea Development Agency collected Sh8.6 billion bonus after delivering 189 million kilogram of green leaf.
The cluster includes Tegat, Litein, Kapkatet, Momul, Kapkoros, Kapset and Mogogosiek.
But even as these figures paint a picture of progress, many farmers are suffering. It should be party time, so why isn’t everybody smiling?
High taxes
According to Mr William Ketienya, a prominent farmer and activist from Kericho, high taxes wreak misery.
“The monthly pay of Sh12** a kilo **for green leaf is little. From this the plucker takes Sh6, KTDA takes Sh1.50 for the fertiliser suspense account, kinga ya mkulima, an insurance policy takes Sh1.50, Cess takes 50 cents project fee and the remaining Sh2.50 is taken by sacco loans,” he explained.
There is need for KTDA to increase the initial payment to at least Sh20 for the farmer to be able to cater for his or her daily needs.
The tea farmer is a beast of burden and tea a lucrative cash cow for busybodies hovering around like vultures waiting for victims to drop dead.
“It is definitely a devastating social phenomenon. Murder and suicide is high at this time and we do a lot of counselling in our churches,” Dr Lang’at said.
Local leaders also pointed out that most locals had dedicated huge pieces of land to tea, leaving little for food, which made them slaves of the industry.
“The current high cost of living makes the tea farmer’s life difficult.
The situation is made worse when they become net buyers of all food. With prices of maize going beyond Sh200 for two kilogrammes, there is nothing left to pay fees with,” said Mr Kipkirui Kap Telwa, a scholar from the region.
During the rainy season, a lot of tea goes to waste as poor roads and a shortage of transport rob farmers of their money.
:mad:
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